Not For Choice
by Lulu Taylor
Summary: Settled in London and having healed old wounds. Neve is pulled back into the job she was fired from and the world she left behind. Walking into a nightmare she never saw coming...
1. Chapter 1

_Neve locked the front door and pulled her coat tightly around herself as the icy London breeze nipped at her cheeks. She carefully walked down the snow covered steps of her flat and made her way down the street. Neve didn't notice it at first, but as she walked further down the road, there was definitely someone behind her. She quickened her pace and mazed through some people on the sidewalk, trying to lose whoever this was but she had no luck. If Neve had any doubt she was the one they were after, she didn't anymore._

 _She didn't have those skills anymore and it had been a long time since she had to use them. If they were this hell-bent on getting to her, she couldn't play shadow games. Neve would have to confront them and whatever they had on them. Although it had been a long time since she had anything remotely like that but it was still in her brain, right?_

 _Maybe they were just trying to rob her?_

 _Neve turned a corner to into a laneway between a pub and an historic building. Everything was historic in this town. They were going to think they hit the lottery. A tiny, defenceless girl, down a dark alleyway. She flattened herself against the brick wall and waited until whoever they were passed her and moved further down the laneway. Neve's eyes had adjusted to the dark by now, she had also taken off her heels. She crept behind them before smashing them in the head and as they were crouched over, she elbowed them in the back. Suddenly the guy reached back and grabbed her arm. Neve gasped as he spun her around and into the wall. She tried to knee them in the stomach but they stepped back just in time and spun her again and pinned her face first on to the brick._

" _Gotten a bit rusty, Walker" he chuckled._

 _She knew that chuckle_

" _What the hell, Brandt?"_

" _I'm disappointed"_

" _Get off me" she bit back angrily. He stepped back releasing her before she turned back around and childishly punched him in the arm "What the hell are you doing?"_

" _Wanted to know if you still had it"_

" _That's funny coming from an analyst"_

" _Still could have kicked your ass, honey"_

" _Don't honey, me. What do you want?"_

" _I need your help"_

" _Too freakin' bad" she snapped angrily before he watched her put her shoes back on, using the wall for balance._

" _Just come with me and I'll explain everything"_

 _Now it was her time to laugh._

 _Neve shook her head and walked away from him. Out of the lane way, past the pub and continued down the street. She heard him jog up behind her and Neve rolled her eyes_

" _Neve"_

" _My answer is no"_

" _You know the stakes" he held her arm and made her look at him "Me of all people wouldn't be standing in front of you if we weren't stuck. We need you. Otherwise the world is in a hell of a lot of trouble. You won't be working for me. This isn't for me. It's for Ethan"_

" _Ethan is in a Russian prison"_

" _Ethan is here. We're all here"_

 _She stepped as close to him as she could before whispering_

" _I'm not an agent anymore"_

" _What you're a concierge at a hotel? Neve, come on. You have an IQ of one sixty and don't get me started on your emotional intelligence. Don't you get bored waiting on peoples whims in hopes they'll come back next time they're in town" he huffed_

" _It pays the bills"_

" _Well that's great but how about you put your big girl pants on and we can take care of this"_

" _You're such an ass"_

" _Listen, just come met Ethan and if you want to still want to bail. That's up to you and Jiminy Cricket"_

" _What?"_

" _Your conscience"_

" _You're a laugh riot, Brandt" She rolled her eyes, not at his joke but at the fact that she was actually agreeing to go with him "Come on"_

 _She headed off in front of him_

" _There are no cabs on this street"_

" _Cabs, no. Only rich people take a taxi and only tourist take buses. I'm guessing we need to be inconspicuous"_

 _She trotted down the stairs of the tube station before he followed her. Maybe her spy days weren't that far beyond her after all._


	2. Chapter 2

_They sat opposite sides of the train and Will couldn't stop looking at her. Her hair was far longer than he had ever seen it and darker too. Which only, seemed to make her eyes a deeper green. She looked over at him and told him to stop staring, just not in words. He noticed no one made eye contact while on the train, it was actually a little unnerving. Neve was looking everywhere, anywhere but him._

 _She was more connected to what was going on right now, than she even knew. Cowardly Will hoped that Ethan would take the lead with that bombshell. It would possibly be easier to hear coming from Ethan. He stood up and walked to the doors at Tottenham Court Road Station. She followed suit a minute later and was a step behind the whole way until they were out on the street and she wondered why the heck she was in Soho but then Neve remembered it was the IMF – there was no logic. They walked down the street before a group of men in the mid-twenties clamoured in front of them, having a good time. Brandt reached back and pulled her forward, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, drawing her in closer as the group of men approached them_

 _Neither of them broke eye contact as the men got closer and kept walking_

" _Kiss me and I'll break your nose" she threatened before batting her eyes at him. All he could do was laugh_

" _She's still in there somewhere" he chuckled_

" _I could still do it too .Especially from where I am, right now"_

" _In here, smart ass" he said pushing her in a doorway and a debilitated room "Top of the stairs to the left"_

 _Neve wearily climbed the stairs, sticking to the railing and the wall in case the timber gave way. She saw light through a closed door and made her way over._

 _She saw Ethan crouched over a laptop frowning, as a British guy explained something. Ethan looked up and smiled_

" _She's here"_

" _Well you did send a stalker after me. Can't be that surprising, can it?"_

 _Brandt could have said a lot but choose not to. Instead choosing to shut up and sit next to Benji_

" _Benji, Neve Walker. Neve, Benji"_

" _Computer genius?"_

" _I like her. Can we keep her?" Benji asked Ethan_

" _Retired" she told him quickly_

" _She's a concierge now" Will piped up bitterly_

" _Not hard to know what Will thinks of that, is it?"_

" _I just think it's a waste"_

" _You two know each other then?"_

" _I wasn't cut out for the role. What did you write in my report?" she asked "Too empathetic to make the decisions of an operative. Your words, William, not mine"_

" _Do you need remember where you were or what had happened before I wrote that report?"_

" _Cut it out. The both of you" Ethan said calmly. Which actually surprised her. They were probably driving him crazy already and she hadn't even accepted the job yet._

" _I would think I am here for a reason"_

 _Ethan moved around the room and grabbed a file and kept moving_

" _IMF raided a villa in Venice of a terrorist. Guns, drugs, girls. You name it. He is into it. Imagine my surprise when they find this clinging to the fridge"_

 _He dropped the file in her lap before she opened it and saw a photograph of herself and Jack in Greece. Their second anniversary._

" _This is a joke, right?"_

" _Niccolo_ _Lombardi_ _"_

" _No. Jack DeRosa"_

" _Who is he to you?" Ethan asked sitting in front of her. There was almost pity in his eyes. Neve had never seen that in Ethan before. She hated it._

" _This is a joke right?" she laughed "You guys are winding me up?"_

" _Neve?"_

 _She flashed her engagement ring at him before wiggling her fingers, making the three carat diamond on her finger sparkle in the light._

" _We've been together three years"_

 _Ethan and Brandt exchanged a concerned stare._

" _What have you told him about your past?" Brandt asked more harshly then he intended_

" _I told him everything the first time he took me to bed, because covert means nothing to me"_

" _I'm not joking around here" Brandt huffed_

" _Then stop asking me stupid question"_

" _Jesus Christ, Neve!" he yelled_

 _Ethan shook his head and started to pace the room. This was exactly what he didn't want happening. Brandt was going to start yelling because he didn't like the situation and Neve was going to shut down because she was stubborn._

" _What do you want from me, Brandt?"_

" _How about to see some sense!"_

" _See it your way. You mean" she accused "You have the wrong guy"_

 _She watched him grabbed a few folders off the table, walked over and turned the chair that Ethan had been sitting on around, before straddling it._

" _You're the only one I can't lie too. We both know that. I never could"_

" _I'm not saying you're lying. I'm saying you have the facts wrong. Someone has given you bad information"_

" _Do you remember where Jack was September twenty ninth?"_

" _He was seeing his family in_ _ _Salerno__ _"_

" _He was in_ _ _Vladivostok" Brandt showed her a photograph of Jack surrounded by men, crates and a forklift__

 _ _She snatched the photograph from Brandt's hand and studied it. She knew that Vladivostok wasn't__ __ _not far from_ _ _the Chinese boarder.__

 _" _Nope"__

 _ _Brandt didn't say anything he just showed her another photograph. She couldn't deny that there were some type of weapon in those containers. She couldn't deny that and there was no denying that it was Jack but__ __ _somehow her mind wouldn't accept that it was her Jack. Not her Jack. Her beautiful Italian that had put her back together again, made her trust the world again. Her beautiful Jack that loved her scars. Not him._

" _Neve, come on" Ethan prodded_

" _Fine maybe he is an arms dealer. By those pictures, yes it looks that way but since when has the IMF cared about every arms dealer on the planet"_

" _So he is one of the good arm dealers. Are you listening to yourself?" Brandt yelled "What the hell happened to you?"_

 _She shook her head and stood up from her seat before making her way to the door_

" _Neve" Ethan called out gently_

" _So what you're just going to walk away. Walk out?" Brandt asked her "Knowing what you know"_

" _Looks like" she yelled back walking out._

 _Brandt moved to go after her before Ethan stopped him._

" _I'll go. She's going home to him anyhow. Just give her some time"_

" _Time with him?"_

" _She's trained. She knows what she's doing. Neve's not going to be able to ignore this. No matter how much she wants too"_

 _Brandt hoped Ethan was right. Otherwise they had just let her go home, unarmed to terrorist. They couldn't protect her there. Apparently he couldn't protect her anywhere._


	3. Chapter 3

She rode back home in a daze. If it had been anybody else, she would have believed every word, without second thought, without argument. Clean cut case of a bad guy but he wasn't. She lived with him. She slept next to him. She took care of him and he took care of him. They fit. He was her match. If Neve's true match was a bad guy, what did that say about her?

Jack was sitting on the living room by the fire reading, when she got home. She smiled at him as she stood in the doorway. He sensed someone and turned around, giving her a warm smile.

"Passerotto, you home early. Did you have fun with your girls?"

"I did" she lied. First time she had ever lied to him.

She walked in and curled up on the sofa with him. Jack wrapped his arms around her quickly, gently pulling her closer to him. She buried her face in his chest and smelt juniper and leather. God she loved that smell. She loved it because it was him.

"You okay?"

She loved how the Italian accent he had learnt from his parents rounded out his words. It mixed in with the British accent. God, she loved it

"I had a really bad day"

"You're here now"

Yeah" she answered looking up at him "You know, you can tell me anything. I never want us to keep anything from each other"

Jack didn't miss a beat brushing dark hair out of her face tenderly smiling at her

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" he joked

"No" she chuckled "There was just a couple at work. They were just so miserable. I mean, they loathed each other and I just thought. What happened to get them there, you know?"

"You started to worry"

"I don't want to be like that, Jack"

"We won't be, Passerotto"

He studied her for a second, trying to read her and Neve feared she had gone too far. Jack was on to her. Then he kissed her, sweetly, softly, meaningfully, lovingly before pulling and smiling at her.

"Come on" he said pulling her off the sofa

"What?"

"I'm taking you out. Show you off and get you out of your own head"

"Show me off?"

"Show the world you're mine. Come on"

Jack playfully pushed her through the flat and to the front door. She just laughed. They were wrong. The IMF. The team. Brandt. They were all wrong. This guy, wasn't a bad guy. He was the sweetest guy in the world

#

Ethan watched them walk through South Bank. They looked like any other couple very much in love. He had seen her look at someone that way in a very long time. He liked seeing her happy. Ethan hoped they were wrong but his instincts were telling him different. He followed them all night. Walking around London, waited outside the restaurant. They sat by the window and held hands almost of the time. Ethan didn't blame her for not believing them. The guy looked at her as if she was the world. Ethan remembered being like that himself but she was smart. He knew her mind would have been ticking over.

He followed them back to their flat and stayed long after the lights had been turned off. He was freezing but he wasn't going to leave her by herself, not yet. Ethan thought about calling it a night at about three but then the front door opened and there she was, wrapping up in a blanket, on her front step.

"Come out. Come out, wherever you" she whispered quietly. Ethan stepped out from his hiding spot and just smiled at her before walking up the steps and sitting next to her.

"Imagine meeting you here"

"At my home? Who would have thought it" she chuckled holding a hot cup of coffee

"Can't sleep?"

"You're kidding me right? I hate you all. The whole night he's talking and being impossibly sweet and all I can do is look for any lies he may be telling me. Any holes in his story"

"If we weren't a hundred and ten per cent sure, we wouldn't have said anything but we are"

"Maybe he has an evil twin"

"Maybe we should be looking for birth records" Ethan laughed

"See, I've just cracked your case for you"

"Maybe the evil twin is a butler too"

They laughed together before he heard her groan

"What do you need me to do?" she asked shaking her head

"I need you to be on my side and met me and the team same place tomorrow"

"Okay" she agreed standing up "But I am doing this just so I can prove you wrong"

"If you find anything that does that, I'll listen"

She walked back toward the door before stopping and turning back

"Get some sleep. You look like hell"

"Thanks, you're so sweet"

"Yeah, sweet as poison ivy"

He waited until she was back inside and all the light were out again before he left.

#

She wandered back to Soho and up the stairs, this time not worrying about falling through. Neve had practically run down them the day before while leaving the team behind in a fog. Confused, angry and lost. This morning was a different story. They didn't notice her that day. They didn't even notice her walking into the room. They only noticed her once she threw blue prints on to the table. Blue prints that she had found in Jack's office

"You may be on to something" she admitted.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence?" Brandt asked her dryly

"If everybody as to put up with your sunny disposition. I thought I'd come in, just to off-set it"

Benji stifled a chuckle before pretending to clear his throat as Brandt glared at him and Neve smiled.

"What did you find?" Ethan said rolling the blue prints flat on the table

"I searched his office at home and he had these. That's my hotel. Why the hell would he have blue print to my hotel?"

Ethan knew where she worked of course. She was on right near The London Eye. There were a number of targets around there. He just frowned and shook his head

"I don't know"

"Has he been using me the whole time?"

"We don't know that" Ethan told her softly "You could have been the road that lead him there"

"Opportune location provided by his wife?"

"You have the access"

"Damn it" she said rubbing her brow "Okay, screw this. Do we know what was in those crates? Anything to figure out what the heck he is up too"

"Nothing concrete, just my gut" Ethan told her with a frowned

"I'd take your gut over IMF intelligence any day" she said wickedly smirking over at Brandt "Do we have someone on him? He said he was going to work but that could mean anything at this point. He does take his laptop with him most days"

"Been trying to hack in ,but nothing. It's like nothing I've seen before. I've tried every password I can think of. Your name, where he was born. Not even his mother's maiden name. I thought Fibonacci, would be it" Benji told her

"Natalia Fibonacci is his step mother. She adopted him when he was three. His mother died when he was nine months old. She was German actually, Emilia Schneider"

Benji went back to his computer; she heard clicking of the key board, at an impossibly fast speed, before Benji and Brandt looked up at her quickly

"We're in" Benji smiled excitingly

Ethan watched her for a second. She was hiding it well but Neve was upset or even guilty about helping them. She was torn, even knowing everything she knew. Her loyalty was like nothing Ethan had ever seen. This had to be tearing her about one way or another. Her loyalty to both her partner and the IMF.

"Well, you know him better than anyone here. Why don't we take a walk and I ask you a few questions?"

She nodded her head before he ushered her out and back downstairs.

#

Benji and Brandt trolled through everything on the computer. Benji looked through every photograph and they looked happy. Like a real couple should be. Loving and silly. Seeing the world together. Niccolo or Jack, whoever he was, clearly adored her. There were so many photographs of Neve when she wasn't even aware they were being taken. She just must have struck him in that moment and he wanted to remember it.

Benji stopped when he saw a photograph of her asleep, on her stomach on white sheets, no clothing. There was a long scar diagonally across her back. From hip to opposite shoulder. Benji frowned

"Is that from a mission?"

"Was what from a mission, Benji?" Brandt asked annoyed looking up from his papers. Once he saw the photograph Brandt changed completely. Benji watched him close his eyes and shake his head before composing himself again. "We were in Chechnya. She had worked this arms dealer, Mayrbek. She had him eating out of the palm of her hand. He was falling for her and telling her everything. More then what we needed. Nevie was something else"

"Sounds like he wasn't the only one under her spell"

"He wasn't" Brandt chuckled "I was her handler. Lines were crossed. We had been there for so long that we got complacent. We must have slipped up somewhere along the way. I got clocked on the head in a street and woke up to the sound her screaming in the opposite room. Nevie is stubborn"

"Picked that on up, yeah"

"Even being tortured, she keeps her mouth shut. It's a matter of pride. So the fact that she was screaming. She couldn't help it. It was bad but she still wasn't breaking. Wasn't telling them anything. We were in an old hospital. It was just rubble and equipment basically. They brought me in and I saw what they had been doing to her. They had her strapped down and were cutting into her back. Little cuts at first. She wouldn't tell them anything.. They weren't getting whet they wanted and just started to do it for fun. We were eventually found but as the recuse team landed the arms dealer we were tracking, learning about, he wanted to leave her with one last souvenir. Hip to shoulder and it was deep. Never heard her scream like that before. Never want to again"

"Nothing you could have done, Brandt"

"Actually there was. We had help but we got her out. I couldn't even take her to a hospital, so we took her to a safe house and snitched her up, the best we could. When she was out cold, recovering I decommissioned her. Wrote a report, told the powers that be, she would suit a low level paper push position. I just needed to get her out of the life. She's capable of so much more than the IMF or espionage. Neve's never forgiven me, clearly"

"Did you explain it to her?"

"Have you met Neve?"

"Good point"

Brandt looked at the photograph again. She was just as he remember, beautiful when she was unguarded, gorgeous and fierce when she was. A royal pain in his ass either way. There was something still there, for him at least.

"As long as she is safe. I'll put up with the hate" he said going back to the papers that he was reading. Learning about this guy was almost as excruciating as looking at pictures of them together.

Niccolo was the owner of a real estate company which was convenient since real estate and selling girls normally went hand in hand, historically speaking. He could run a lot of dirty money through and anything else under the company's name but there had to be something. Blueprints and weapons. He had to have another property. Something big. Something in England, close by. Brandt just had to find it.

#

When Ethan and Neve joined them again she was wearing sunglasses and didn't take them off once she was inside and for a long after Brandt and Benji caught them up. She had been crying, teary at the at least and was trying to hide it from them. Neve would flinch every time someone called him Niccolo. Like it physically hurt her. Brandt changed and called him Jack. She noticed but didn't say anything. The men threw out theories and questions.

She absentmindedly pulled a packet of cigarettes out of her pocket and placed one between her teeth but Ethan stopped her

"Outside"

"Really?"

"Balcony, if you have to do that"

She frowned at him like a child before huffing as she stood up out of her chair and walked out on the balcony. Benji smirked to himself as Brandt got up from his seat seconds later. She was riffling through her pockets when he walked out there, getting annoyed with herself for forgetting to buy a lighter with she brought the packet.

"Here" he said getting his lighter out. Flicking on the flame. She looked over at him strangely

"You hate me smoking"

"Lighter is going away in. Three. Two"

" " she said quickly lighting her cigarette. She chuckled as she stood back up "You used to hate me smoking"

He watched her walk across to the railing and look out at the view. She always had loved London. She loved the energy. Loved the people. Loved the nightlife.

"You only smoke when you're sad and that's why I hated it"

"I'm not sad. I'm annoyed"

"And sad"

"My life is a lie, Will"

"Not all of it"

She frowned and took a long drag before looking back at him

"I fell for him and he must laugh about it. I guess its justice for what I used to do. Making Mayrbek fall for me. Poetic, don't you think? It always comes back to Chechnya."

"That's not why this is happening"

"No. This is happening because I am an idiot. How did I not see it. I was an operative. How do I not know when someone is lying to me?"

"Because Niccolo, Jack. Whatever the hell his name is. The one objective was for you not to find out. So he made sure you couldn't. You found out, he knew he was done. Maybe he just needs access to the hotel for something completely different. Maybe up until that point, it was all real. Maybe he doesn't even know what the IMF is. Doesn't know you're a spy"

"Was a spy"

"If you're fishing for an apology you're not getting one. I did what I had to do to keep you safe"

"You had no right" she snapped "It happened to me, not you. William. That's a risk that comes with the job. Danger is. Our job. Torture is like a paper cut to people in office job. It happens. It was always going to happen"

Will nodded his head because he knew once he stepped outside with her, they were going to get around to this conversation. They had too. They had to hash it out to move on and do their job

"Yes, it happened to you but I had to sit there and listen to you and then watch and be unable to do something. Anything"

"Well I'm sorry I couldn't be pristine for you anymore. Sorry if that changed the way you saw me"

"It wasn't about that!" he yelled "Is that was you think? I watched you almost die, Neve. Almost bleed to death. That's why I decommissioned you"

They both stared at each other stunned. Before they heard Benji call them inside. They both moved before they realised they had. They were inside and saw the blank screen of the computer

"This is the third time the message has come through" Benji told them as Brandt and Neve frowned, White text flashed up on the screen

 **Sparrow**

 **9:30**

 **Where The Ever Present Eye**

 **Keeps Watch Over The Apostle**

 **NL**

 **X**

Neve sighed and shook her head before crossing her arm over her chest.

"Niccolo Lombardi" Ethan said under his breath

"He's on to you"

"Geez, what gave you your first clue?" Brandt asked, voice dripping with distain

"It's not like I am in espionage anymore. So, you know?"

"I made the right choice"

"That wasn't your decision to make" she told him coldly

"Focus" Ethan told them both "Nevie, does that mean thing to you?"

"I don't know"

"Really?" Brandt asked her "Your fiancé. The man you know better than anyone in the world and this mean nothing to you?"

She was lying. He knew she was lying. That message was for her and Brandt knew it but he couldn't reveal how he knew.

"What is sparrow?" Benji asked all of them

"Guys, listen I'm not going to be the fountain of knowledge you think I'll be. For Christ sake, I didn't even know his name was Niccolo. The one thing I can tell you about Jack is that he loves to mess with people. He will straight face mess with people and they believe every word. So sparrow, even this whole thing could be some bullshit he has created to distract you from what he is really doing. This" she told them pointing at the screen "This doesn't matter. We need to find out what was in those crates. We need to figure where he is storing them and we need to find out why he has blue prints to my damn hotel"

She felt Ethan hand on her shoulder before she took a deep breath.

"You're right. Let's find any contacts in China or Russia that could or would know anything about what Jack was transporting and where"

Neve nodded at Brandt

"Lighter"

He tilted his head and stared at her before fishing the lighter out of his jacket and tossing it at her.

Once she was back outside and smoking another cigarette Ethan walked over to Brandt before looking back outside at Neve leaning on the railing

"She knows" he told him matter-of-factly

"That message was for her. I put a wire on her coat last night. He calls her passerotto, which in Italian means"

"Sparrow" Ethan answered

"She's always lead with her heart instead of her head" Brandt shook his head

"If she slips out"

"I'm on it"

"You stay on her. She's not convinced yet and that's dangerous for everybody"

"Who is this guy?"

"We're going to find that out" Brandt looked out the window and watched her before Ethan chuckled "She is under your skin"

"Yeah, like a skin eating virus"

Brandt walked away and they went back to work


	4. Chapter 4

_#_

 _Neve slipped out, like they knew she would. She went back to the flat, knowing he wouldn't be there. She got changed, got prepared. Wore the jeans she knew he loved. Black top he had brought her, the high heeled boots she always felt strong in and her favourite fitted trench coat. The expensive one and then made her way to East Central London and_ _One New Change, went up the elevator, walked past a bar area and turned left and on to the roof_

 _There in front of her_ _Cathedral of St Paul the Apostle and to her left the London Eye lit up the night sky. Otherwise known as the place they had their first kiss, after their first date in a restaurant downstairs._

 _The attractive Italian standing in a very well-tailored suit in front of her was being sentimental. He had his back to her but his shoulders straightened as he heard the sound of her boots_

" _Neve"_

" _Niccolo"_

 _He chucked as he turned around smiling that smile she couldn't resist. Neve frowned at him before pouting_

" _I'm sorry, Baby"_

" _Who are you?"_

" _You know me, Neve"_

" _You lied to me"_

" _Oooh well, you can't point a finger at something like lying. I'm not the only one who living a double life"_

" _Why did you have blueprint to the hotel in your office?"_

" _You snoop" Jack chuckled before reaching out his hand for hers She stared at his open hand and back into his eyes. She felt safe, he looked like her Jack. His eyes were the same. Soft and kind. "Neve, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise"_

 _She took his hand and stepped forward. Jack spun her around, playfully , before wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and gently kissed her cheek_

" _Jack" she whispered_

" _Did you know the first time we were here. You were talking about how beautiful the view was and all I could look at was you?"_

" _Did you target me because I had been IMF?"_

" _I choose you because you're beautiful"_

" _Please stop"_

" _It's truth. I didn't know at first but I started to notice things. You didn't talk about your past a lot. You were always slightly too aware when we were in a crowd. You always choose the back of the restaurant. Wasn't until I saw your back and you told me that story. I knew for sure, there was more to you. So, I looked into it"_

" _Why didn't you leave?"_

" _I'm girlfriend was a spy. How sexy is that?" Neve laughed and rested her head on his chest. Jack leant in, pressed his lips to her ear before whispering "I would never let anything like that happen to you. I'd protect you. You'd never want for anything and you would have everything you needed"_

" _Jack" she whispered back shaking her head against his chest_

" _Why are you trusting these people that let that happen to you? They threw you away when they had no use for you. I would never do that to you"_

" _No, he'd do something much worse" another voice said walking towards him._

 _Brandt with his gun drawn. Neve swore loudly before gasping as Jack spun her around again. Pressing her back up against his chest and something sharp be press against her stomach_

" _Damnit Brandt" she murmured_

" _Brandt" Jack said before he chuckled "This is the guy? You really did a number on her, didn't you?"_

" _Jack" she begged_

" _You're not what I imagined at all"_

 _The pressure on her stomach increased_

" _Brandt, put it down" she begged "Go right now"_

" _Not a freakin' chance, Nevie"_

" _I wasn't asking"_

" _I think he still likes you, Baby" Jack chuckled into her neck. As he dug the knife in more. It had now cut through her clothes "Does it kill you, Agent Brandt. That I slowly but surely stole her away from you, piece by piece. Everything was yours when I met her. Broken but still yours"_

 _Brandt watched her close her eyes ashamed, embarrassed. Pressing her lips together, leaning her face as far away from him as she could. This guy wasn't just hurting her physically._

" _Shut your mouth" Brandt told him_

" _Slowly but surely. Mind, body soul, she become mine. Although she gave me her body first"_

" _Jack" she begged_

" _Especially last night, after she found out who I might be. Was that yesterday you told her, yes?" he asked Brandt before turning back to Neve "See Baby, you can never hide anything from me. I knew my time was up"_

 _Jack tightened his grip on her before she looked back at him. Space barely between them_

" _Let me go" she whispered_

" _Not while he has that gun on me"_

" _Will, put it down"_

" _Can't just let him go, Neve"_

" _We have too"_

 _Jack hovered above her lips, looking into her eyes before speaking again_

" _Don't worry, Will. I always come back to get what's mine"_

 _Will knew he had no choice. He hated doing it but he put the gun down and watched the smile grow on the guy's face before Niccolo kissed her. Kissed her hard, pushing her head back and not stoping until she moaned_

 _Brandt had to look away after awhile. That wasn't an image he wanted burnt into his brain_

Jack finally pulled back and danced the tip of her nose around hers as Neve finally opened her eyes as he let her go

" _See you soon, Baby"_

 _She lowered herself on to the ledge of the building and watched Jack walk away. The way Brandt and Jack watched each other, she couldn't really explain._

 _Will waited until the guy was well and truly gone before he stalked up to her. Pissed off and worried but mostly annoyed_

" _Have you lost your freakin mind?" he yelled "Coming here alone. He could have killed you"_

" _He wasn't going to kill me"_

" _What did you think you were going to do? Talk him. Take him downstairs. Make a little night of it and he'd tell you everything over a nice meal and wine. Tell you his evil plan"_

" _Brandt" she protested_

" _Yeah?"_

" _A little help here?" She asked holding out her hand "I can't feel my legs right now"_

 _Will walked over slowing and took her hand pulling her up half way before wrapping his arm around his waist, holding her up_

" _What am I going to do with you?"_

" _I don't know who that was"_

" _He's not Jack. He was never Jack" he told her softly_

" _Well I get that now!"_

 _They stood up and her hand ran down her coat to find a tear where the knife had been. He heard her swear again_

" _What?" he asked gently_

" _This is my favourite coat"_

 _Brandt found himself laughing at how ridiculous that sounded. How cute she sounded_

" _I'm more worried about the girl in the coat"_

" _The girl spent three thousand dollars on the coat. She's pissed"_

" _You what?" he asked pressing the button for the elevator "On a coat"_

" _Its really pretty"_

" _As long as its pretty" he laughed resting her on the wall as the door closed "Such a girl"_

" _A girl in a ripped coat"_

 _He just smiled and shook his head at her. It was the first glimpse of the woman he used to know._


	5. Chapter 5

They didn't say a word on the short journey of the elevator but he could practically hear the clogs in her mind ticking over as the frown on her face deepened. He listened to the click of her high heels bounce off the pavement and echo of the glass panels of the blackened storefronts

"I cannot believe that you followed me" she whispered looking back at him "Again"

"Well if I had any faith that you were not going to get yourself killed. I wouldn't have too"

Brandt knew that he wasn't going to get out of this out a fight. Neve was just composing herself . Working on her best battle plan to beat him.

"I had it under control"

"Yeah, looked like it" Brandt sniggered "He was having a fine time bewitching you"

"Excuse me?" she swung around and stopped

"You were seconds away from running away with him, Neve"

"You have no idea what you are talking up"

"Really? Let me in on the plan. What were you going to do?" he asked "Take him downstairs. Take a trip down memory lane. Wine and dine him until he told you everything. Every single detail of his plan for world domination and skip home, holding hands?"

"I was doing just fine until you showed up"

"Its all my fault?"

"I could have played him"

"He brought a knife with him. You don't think he intended to use it"

"You brought a gun"

"And you brought nothing" he yelled "He is not Jack, Neve. You can't trust him anymore"

She turned around and kept walking. Brandt shook his head. It was just like her, walking away when the truth was too hard for her to handle.

He stayed behind her, following her to the closest tube station and grabbing a hold of her elbow when she started going to wrong way. Neve looked up at him wide eyed. Brandt just shook his head before she followed him for a change, even sitting next to each other on the train. Which surprised him

Neve lent in before whispering

"We're going the wrong way for Soho"

"Not going to Soho"

"Where are we going?"

Brandt gave her a smile that told her not to worry while also telling her that he wasn't going to tell her anyhow. She playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head but didn't move. Her arm gently pressed against his. Neve just kept staring at the floor. Brandt looked over at her, she was slowly losing it. Everything was starting to sink in . because you could only run for so long. He decided to be bold and reached over and held her hand.

Brandt had forgotten how small she was. They both looked down at their hands before she rested her chin on his shoulder. Neve was absolutely lost and he couldn't blame her

"You've got this" he whispered

She gave him an unsure smile and went back to staring at the floor but also didn't move from where she was.

#

They got off at Russell Square station crossed the street, past Tesco and along the pavement amongst tourists dragging suitcases behind them and party goings ready for a good time. She passed a hot dog vendor and realised she hadn't eaten all day. If it wasn't for the pain in her stomach she could have eaten ten of them. She tightened the belt on her coat and discreetly pressed her hand down, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Neve looked at the neighbourhood they were in before looking over at him confused

"Did the IMF find an investor that I'm unaware of?"

"You mean other than the government"

"Yeah that's exactly what I mean" she chuckled " This is far more"

"Ritzy"

"Snooty"

"All about the cover, I guess"

She walked up the stoop and through the front door. The truth was she probably couldn't even afford to stand in a place like this and yet sleep there. It felt really homey, for a safe house.

She went upstairs without saying a word to him. Brandt just shook his head and watched her go. She found the bathroom easy enough. Neve turned on the light before untying the belt of her jacket. That hurt more than it should have. She went looking for a first aid kit but there was one in the bathroom. She cursed herself for not looking downstairs first.

There was no sign of him.

She quietly padded down to the kitchen and checked in the cabinets, grabbing a tea towel, pressing it down and taking a deep breath, pushing through the pain.

"What are you looking for?" his voice came out of nowhere

"Your brain" she called back before heard him chuckle

"Ladies and Gentleman, maturity has entered the building"

She didn't say anything because she found what she was looking for and headed back upstairs again.

She was always a smart arse but more so when she was in pain and that was a quick progression from the sweet fleeting moment they had on the train back to arguing. He watched the stairs long after she was gone, before walking into the kitchen. Nothing seemed out of place. He was confusing until he got closer to the sink and saw a speck of blood on the edge of the bench top.

Now he was annoyed, actually he was pissed.

Neve had no idea about the storm about to hit her. She was too being secretive. She sat on the edge of the antique bathtub working up the courage even look at the damage and do what she had to do. Finally she accepted her fate. She took a calming breath before standing up and looking in the mirror before removing her coat. Seconds after that, the bathroom door flew up with such force that she thought it was going to come off its hinges

"Looking to buy the IMF a new door?" she accused

"What have you done?"

"Nothing"

Brandt sat on the edge of the bathtub exactly where she had been seconds before. He had no idea why he had asked because he knew what had happened to her. He knew where the blood had come from. He was just angry she was stubborn and hadn't said anything.

" .Now"

"Why, Mr Brandt. Are you trying to get familiar with me?"

She gave him that smile he had shown years before and he had seen here her give to other people, a thousand times before. The one that made men melt. Not tonight. Not to him

"Shirt"

"I hate you"

"Nah, you don't" he chuckled before hearing never ending string of mutter curse words. Furious, her blouse was off her body in record time and standing in front of him defiantly with her hands on her hips

"Happy?"

"Yeah, you're bleeding. I'm so elated. Give me that cloth" She picked the towel of the basin and threw it at him, making it bounce off his shoulder "I've missed these moments together"

They were stuck in a stubborn silence. That didn't stop until she flinched in pain

"Easy"

"Sorry Angel"

He hadn't realised he had said it but it rang in her ear. She hadn't heard him say that for the longest time. She didn't make him aware of it either.

"I didn't know anything until I stood up on the train. Must have gotten up on a strange angle or something"

"It's not that bad. It's a lot of blood for a small cut. You'll be fine. Might have to put in some butterfly clips though. Just in case"

"No. No. It's be fine"

He looked up at her confused before seeing the colour had washed out of her face. For the first time that night or even since they had seen each other again. Neve looked scared.

It wasn't the blood, it wasn't the pain, it wasn't even the clips. It was the sensation. It brought back too many memories. When they snitched her up in Chechnya there wasn't enough drugs to cancel out all the pain. It wasn't the pain she remembered so much, even though she remembered that too. It was more the feeling of the needle and her skin.

"We need too"

"Brandt"

"I'll be fast. I promise"

She felt the cold antiseptic on her skin and she knew what was coming. Neve took a deep breath before closing her eyes and waiting for it. Instead she felt his finger lock with hers before he moved one of her hand to his shoulder.

"Don't tell me when. Just do it"

"You sure?"

"More than"

He didn't tell her when and she didn't say a word but the grip on his shoulder increased and decreased accordingly. The pin prick and the pulling made her wrinkle her nose and she was back where they ended and the weeks after when he was gone and she was alone. Four clips later he looked back up at her

"Done"

He taped a bandage to her stomach and stood up as she turned to the mirror. It was only then that she realised she was standing in front of him only in jeans and a black bra. She felt less exposed with an opened wounded. It got worse as she felt his eyes on her and nothing but heat.

If anything she had gotten better with age and that was saying a lot since Neve was pretty damn irresistible to begin with. She was more toned now, still feminine with curves in the right place. When he saw the scar he couldn't help it, he froze. She felt it and looked at him through the mirror

"It doesn't hurt anymore" she said quietly "It'll be less daunting if you touch it"

"I should have stopped it. No actually, it shouldn't have happened in the first place"

"And we shouldn't have fallen for each other but we did. We should have gotten out of there earlier but we didn't. People shouldn't get hit by buses, but they do. That's life, Will. You beating yourself up is not going to make what happened disappear. So stop"

Suddenly she felt his fingertips run along her scar gently and it took all her willpower not to quiver. She couldn't look at him so she concentrated on the basin. Neve didn't look up until both his hands were on her hips.

"And she's still standing"

"Who would have thought it?" she chuckled

"I'll go get you something to wear. I don't think you should be walking around London like that"

"Hey, I could make a little extra cash" she joked. Brandt just shook his head and smiled walking out the door. She took her heels off, the coldness of the tiles was actually comforting as she stood there messing with the rip in her coat. She didn't notice him in the doorway

"It really bugs you, doesn't it?"

"I know it's just a coat but I saved up a long time to buy it and now it's ruined. Stings a little"

"I get it"

"I'll save up again. Hotel is always asking me to do over time and it's not like I have a husband to go home to anymore" she chuckled softly "Or a home, I guess. I can't go back there anymore. He has my passport and everything else. Jesus"

"We can fix everything else. The IMF can get you a new Passport faster than you can blink" he said handing her the tee-shirt that was in his hand

"I'm retired, Agent Brandt"

"You're a consultant, Agent O'Connor"

"I'll be interested in how you mange that"

"Hunley loves me" he said walking out of the room

Memories flashed back to her time at the agency. She hated Hunley. He was so arrogant. The thought of Brandt and Hunley being buddies, quite frankly freaked her out.

Any thoughts of that left her brain when she pulled the t-shirt that Brandt gave her. She brought the hem of the t-shirt to her nose. She knew that cologne. This shirt was Brandts'. Before jumping to conclusions, she had always been good at that. Neve decided to do a little digging.

The bathroom cabinets were fully stocked. She wandered into a bedroom and looked in the closet. More clothes then one man needed. She went to the dresser drawers before opening the top draw on the left side.

"Watch and gun" she said to herself before pulling the draw open.

Two silver watches and his back up.

Neve shook her head and stormed downstairs. This wasn't a safe house. This was Will's place.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" he asked laughing at her.

"Shut up" she told him walking into the kitchen was opened all the cupboards. Fully stocked. She slammed the last door and turned to him "You're an absolute moron"

"That was good while it lasted. All five minutes of it"

"This isn't a safe house. This is your house. How could you be so stupid? What if Jack followed us here. What if he shows up, you idiot"

"Don't tease me. I'd really love that to happen. Trust me"

"This isn't a game, Will!"

"Really? I would have never have guessed that" he said quietly before picking her up and gently placing her on the island in the middle of the kitchen "Listen, you don't have to worry okay?"

"Actually I do because I have no idea who the hell we are dealing with or what he was capable of. What I do know is that Jack is a jealous man and he now knows who you are and that"

"We have that in common"

"Ugh, be serious for once"

"I'm always serious asked Benji" he chuckled and she tried not to smile "I'm also staving. You hungry?"

"Considering you just clipped my stomach together. No. No, I'm not hungry"

"Nevie, you gotta eat"

She sighed before her shoulders dropped. Some battles she actually knew not to fight, especially with him. Contrary to popular belief, he was actually more stubborn then she was. Neve was secretly enjoying the comfortably that they still shared. She hadn't realised how tense she had been over the past few days, when she wasn't with him.

Neve's mind wasn't with Brandt long, before she travelled back to Jack, Niccolo, whatever the heck that guy's name was and what the hell he was up too. Those crates and his big master plan. She was scared. One thing that she had here that she never hadn't while undercover, was people she cared about. She had created a life in London. People, heartstrings and in turn heartache if anything happened to them. What if they couldn't figure this thing out in time. She loved her life here. She had worked really hard for it. It couldn't crumble now. Neve couldn't rebuild a third time but she guessed she had no choice now that Jack was gone.

Her wedding dress was still hanging in the closet. She never got to wear it. There went her wedding in Santorini. She mentally slapped herself. The world could end and she was thinking of was a dress.

Suddenly she felt warm palms on neither side of her face and Brandt tilted her face up. Neve took a deep breath and smiled softly at him

"Come back to me" he told her softly "Where did you go?"

"Nowhere"

"Liar"

He heard her giggle before she rolled her eyes. He picked her up carefully and placed her back on the floor, before noticing how short she was with high heels. He had forgotten over time. Brandt just chuckled and patted her on the head

"Get off" she laughed and swatted his hand away. Brandt handed her the plate and nodded his head for her to follow him. She did. Making herself comfortable on the living room floor, in front of the fire, leaning her back in the sofa. He watched her look at her dinner dauntingly

"Just push it around the plate a little. Make me feel better"

She looked up and smiled before ignoring the twinge in her stomach. She stared at the fireplace in the wall, getting lost in the flames Wondering what her next move was going to be.

What Niccolo's next move?

#

She ended up being more hungry then she claimed. Her empty plate and half empty wine glass rested next to the sofa as she placed the soles of her feet together. A ballet stretch, she fell into, thanks to decades of dancing. Brandt doubted that she realised she even did it anymore. It was so much a part of who she was. Her accent however. The thick Irish drawl had now been watered down and was round out in English. Brandt missed it. Her accent always had gotten thicker when she was angry. When she was livid at him. The Gaelic followed like a river. He had done it on purpose sometimes, just to hear her speak it. Brandt had lost count of how many times he heard

Is cuma sa toll feisithe liomsa or Cúl Tóna.

Brandt started to chuckle. She looked over him and frowned before laughing herself

"What?"

"Flashbacks"

"Of what?"

"What was that thing you always used to say under breath in Gaelic? A ta de Dlee something"

She looked down and the carpet and smiled. Neve looked up at him

"Cic Maith Sa Tóin Atá De Dlíth Air"

"Meaning?"

"He needs a good kick up the arse" she laughed. They both laughed and somehow the world she was carrying on her shoulder lifted, slightly

"Probably did"

"Definitely did" She laid her legs out in front of her and rested her head back. She didn't stay there. Quickly feeling herself nodding off. Neve lifted her head and rested it in the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on the sofa instead. She looked directly at him. She fixed him

"What?"

"How long have you been in London?"

Brandt cleared his throat and tried to think of a way out of this, but there wasn't one

"I'm never one place for long. You know that"

"Yeah but when?"

"Uhh, six years"

She didn't miss a beat, but then again she never had

"Six years when?"

"Neve" he warned

"Will"

"I guess it was March"

She looked away and shook her head. Neve moved to London on New Years' Day, six years ago.

"Son of a" she whispered "Were you keeping tabs on me?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Humour me"

"Never stopped"

Neve stood up slowly before taking her dishes into the sink. He hoped that he had gotten away with it but once she dropped her dishes in the sink with a loud clang, Will knew he wasn't that lucky. He heard her footsteps on the stairs , leaving him

He had two choices he could ghost around, walk on eggshells. Let it get in the way of what he was actually meant to be doing – catch the bad guys or he could confront her now. Will liked option two. He left the dishes where they were and charged up the stairs and she had clearly decided that she needed to do the same thing.

Neve stormed out of a bedroom from the end of the hallway. Waved her arm and shouted at him

"Ah, zoccaro, frasca, merduso, piscialetto"

"Hitting me with the Italian now. That's new"

He hate it. Niccolo had clearly taught her and Brandt saw red with angry and jealousy

"Why? What the hell gives you the right to keep tabs on where the hell I am?"

"God forbid someone worry about you"

"Not you!"

"Why not?"

"William, you don't get to dump me. Fire me and then act like you give a shit"

"Why not?"

"Excuse me?"

"Not for one single second did I ever stop caring. Worrying. Wondering. I came across something when you were in _Marseille_ , so yes. I kept tabs. So sue me"

"What give you the right?"

"Don't get pissy at me because you're angry at him. He is the one that hurt you. This is bullshit"

"Why buy a place here?"

"I needed to know you were okay"

"You were keeping tabs on me. Will, you knew I was okay"

"What do you want me to say?"

She looked up at the ceiling before shaking her head and sighing

"You know what? I have no clue" she said softly

She thought he had stopped caring. To now find out that it was the complete opposite had her head in a spin. Neve felt like she was losing her mind.

"Listen. You're tired and you have a lot coming at you right now. Take that room. Get some sleep and we'll fix all this tomorrow"

"Okay" she walked back into bedroom before sticking her head out the door "Thank you. Don't think I've said that yet but thanks"

"Anytime"

She watched him walk downstairs. She wouldn't admit it to him but Neve had missed him.


	6. Chapter 6

He woke up at three o'clock in the morning. Brandt wasn't sure why he did but he had to shield his eyes from the light in the hallway. He switched all the lights off before going to sleep, which only meant someone wasn't sleeping. He pulled a hooded jacket on before going downstairs and finding her on the sofa, in front of the fire with her head in his laptop. Brandt didn't say anything until he was down the stairs.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"How am I meant to do that, right now?" she chuckled before resting her head on the back of the sofa, looking up at him, smiling softy "I was just going through our bank stuff. I thought maybe I could find something. Maybe he was in a jam and had to put a large amount of money somewhere quickly"

"Honey, they have offshore bank accounts for that sort of thing"

"I know. I'm just grasping at straws"

"Trying to make sense of it?" he asked sitting next to her

"Could be some of that"

"You weren't meant to know, Neve. He would have gone to great lengths for you not to know anything about that part of his life. You're not going to find it in bank accounts or emails. Anything under Jack's name. We have to focus on Niccolo, okay?"

"Yeah" she whispered not looking at him "We just don't have a timeline or target or anything for sure"

"We'll figure it out. You're going straight to the worst case scenario"

"I don't want people to get hurt. I have a life here. I have people I care about here"

"Me too"

He slid the laptop gently from her hands and closed the screen before putting far away

"I was thinking. You know who had the best connections in Russia and in particular, the china boarder"

"Neve, it's not going to happen"

"This is bigger than that, or us or Vince"

"See the fact you still call him be his first name. All the things he did to you"

"Think of all the things I did to him, Will"

"You're going anywhere near Mayrbek. Are you kidding me?"

"Stop being so stubborn"

"He's in Jail, Neve"

He watched her fall back into the sofa and stare at him wide eyed. Neve never thought that could actually happen. She always thought Vincent Mayrbek would be too smart to get caught. All of that time she spent with him, she learnt a great deal from him. He was her mission, yes. She seduced him, yes. It was all about information but she never knew he would also give her an education.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"He's in a Russian prison. He is not going to know anything that we need to know. He's out of the game"

"You are damn foolish if you think that prison is going to keep him out of any game. He is probably more connected then he ever was before"

"Is that hero worship I'm hearing?"

Brandt was pissed and jealous. She could hear it in his voice. Neve would have laughed if she wasn't angry herself. She just wasn't quite sure why she was angry.

"No, its common sense"

The room suddenly turned cold, at least the distance between them did. Tense and cold and confused. Will shook his head

"You're not seeing him"

"Let me use the history I have with him" she told him quietly "If not Vincent then maybe, Vitaly?"

"Vitaly? Mayrbek's brother who was in love with you" Will stood up and left her "I'm done talking about this"

"Brandt" she called up the stairs

"Go to sleep"

"Wish I could"

She reached over and grabbed the laptop again before hearing him bellow from upstairs

"Bed now"

"Make me" she muttered under her breathe before she picked everything up and turning off all the lights

#

She stood in his doorway both fuming and frozen. He looked up and placed his hands behind his head

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to hop in?"

"Póg mo thóin"

"I know what that means" he chuckled "I've heard it enough"

"Good night, William"

"Hey, come here"

"No way I'm getting near that bed"

"Neve Fionnuala , come here" She walked in slowly before he reached out his hand. Neve stared at it sceptically "Not a trick"

"Everything is a trick" she told before he pulled her down.

"Don't be angry at me for wanting to protect you"

"Well, don't let that blind sight you. I'm right and you know it. Yes, Vince could know nothing but"

"Would you stop talking about him like he is your best friend"

She ignored him

"Maybe Vitaly knows nothing but you know it's worth a shot"

"Tell me why you are so hell bent to see these people"

"I want to beat Jack at his own game. I want to stop him. I don't want him to hurt anybody, especially if its people I care about. If I have to take a trip down memory lane to do that. Then, fine"

"You don't have feelings for him?"

"Vince or Jack?"

"Either because it's dangerous"

"Jesus, give me some credit. I know you think I was a horrible agent, ok?" she huffed "I'm not that hopeless and never call me Fionnuala again"

"Okay, tough guy"

She stood up and to walk away before he pulled her back.

"Goodnight Brandt"

"Good Morning, Neve"

He listened to her laugh as she walked out. He kind of hoped that she would reappear at his door but he also knew she was too stubborn for that.

#

When he woke her in the morning. Her hair was all wild and messy, the covers pulled up to her neck and she stared at the mug of coffee he had placed by her bed as if it was an alien.

"Morning Sunshine" he baited her "You don't want coffee?"

"I want ten more hours sleep"

"Sorry Princess. I can't give you that" Neve sat before quickly stop again, grabbing her stomach. Will frowned at her "You need some help?"

"No. I just got up too fast"

"Liar"

"It will be fine"

"There are some clothes on the dresser for you"

"Thanks. I'll be down in a second"

As much as she hated to admit it. She liked him taking care of her. She'd missed him, even when he was pissing her off and she was swearing at him. Although Neve was fairly sure he did that on purpose some of the time.

She walked into the en suite and saw the state of her hair before rolling her eyes at her reflection. She freshened up and her mind started to wander. Could she actually go back to her flat to get some of her things. Meeting the team, wearing Will's clothes wasn't going to look the best, especially given their history and she really doubted there would be any down time in the next few days for her to get more clothes.

Then what happened when the mission wrapped up. She wasn't an agent. The IMF didn't have a job for her. She worked at a hotel. She needed that job and she couldn't just not show up for days and still expect to be employed. That's not how the real world worked. Neve had to get in contact with them. Figure out something.

#

Will watched her walk down the stairs. First those ridiculously tall high heels, then those legs, his shirt never looked better and her hair was still wild. Will mentally shook himself out of it. Why could he never concentrate when she was around?

"I was thinking"

"That's never good for me"

"Listen" she chuckled "I'm going to go see my boss and just make something up, so I can get some time off"

"Just quit"

"I can't do that"

"Because being a maid is so fulfilling"

"I'm not a maid. Will, listen to me okay?" she took a deep breath, trying not to angry at him for being a hot head mull "I can't just not show up for days. I'll lose my job if I do that and we might need the hotels help down the line. Or if Jack is plan has nothing to do with my hotel. We may need any number of connections that people there have to help us out"

"You can't go to the hotel. What if Niccolo has people watching it. What if they grab you? Neve, you can't have anything to do with your old life"

"Well, my old life is IMF and MI6 and CIA and any other government abbreviation. London is my life. I'm trying to save my life"

"So am I"

"Jack is not going to hurt me"

"You have no idea what he'd do. That's the whole point of this. We have no idea what he is capable of, with anything"

"Even more reason to stay a step ahead of him"

"I would ask to go with you but I know you'd just say no"

"You do remember me" she teased "I'll meet her in a public place. It will be fine"

"It better be, Fionnuala"

She frowned but smiled at him. Neve could bite, like he wanted her to or she could play the same game. Neve crossed the small space between them and gently took his face in her hands

"There he is" she said softly "I remember that man. Where's he been hiding?"

"Worrying too much"

"Don't do that. It'll will give you wrinkles. Oh, wait"

"Well, we all can't have eternal youth like some"

"I do have that"

"Do you bathe in the blood of thirty virgins?"

She swatted his arm with the back of her hand before he wrapped both of his arms around her waist, drawing her in closer. Suddenly it was like no time had passed between and the energy changed between them, her master plan had back fired. She looked up at him wide eyed and batted her eyelashes.

"Will?"

"Bad timing"

"Crazy ex-boyfriend, end of the world and all"

"Sorry all I heard of that was, ex-boyfriend"

"We can't get used to this"

"What? Not fighting?"

"I have to go" she said clearing her throat, nervously. Brandt stared at her for a few seconds before he dropped his arm and stepped back.

"Watch your six" he said coldly, professionally. Just like that. The spell was broken.

She frowned before shaking her head. Neve didn't say anything else before pulling her bag slowing off the countertop and walking out the door.

#

Neve sat at a tiny blue metal table, hidden in the crowd, listening to an opera singer in Covent Garden. It was slight less obvious then the sword swallower that she saw on the way in. Neve didn't even know what she was going to say. _Excuse me boss lady, my future husband is crazy_ \- just wasn't going to cut it.

The singer finished her number and Neve clapped along with the crowd before Bianca her manager sat across from her.

"You look like crap"

"Thanks, B. I feel it"

"What's going on?"

"Jack and I have called it off"

"What?!"

"I wish I could tell you everything but I can't. I've moved out and um, I just"

"Take as much time as you need" Bianca told her softly taking Neve's hand "You can have a room at the hotel, if you need it"

"I'm staying with a friend" Neve briefly uttered "My ex, actually"

"The American?"

"Yeah, it's complicated"

"Sounds it"

"I didn't want to leave you high and dry. I mean, things will settle"

"Don't worry. We're here when you're ready" Bianca smiled at her "You wanna go shopping. That's get ex-boyfriend written all over it"

Neve laughed and she actually meant it, before shaking her head

"I would love too, trust me. Life is going to be a little crazy for a little while"

"If you need anything. Let me know"

Bianca stood up leant over and hugged Neve, before kissing her on the cheek. That was it. That was the axe that broke the strong ice within Neve. She took a deep breath, that quickly turned into a sob before she pulled herself together just as fast.

"I really loved him, B"

"I know you did"

Neve took another deep breath and straightened up, putting on the invisible mask that took the world that she was strong and nothing could touch her

#

She knew he was going to be ballistic when he found out that she went back there but Bianca was right. What she was wearing was inappropriate. Brandt and Neve had only been together a few days and the lines were already getting blurred. They couldn't get confused, they couldn't do what they liked. Not with the job they had to do. It amazed her just how quickly she could fall into old patterns with work and her personal life too.

Neve had to draw a line in the sand and that had to start with her not wearing his clothes, so Neve made her way back to her flat. She wasn't even worried because she knew the J wouldn't be there. She repeated that name to herself again. Niccolo. Not Jack. He was going to be off somewhere knee deep in plans for world domination or whatever the hell he was doing. She could rush in, grab some things, get changed and leave before anyone noticed

Or at least that was what she thought

She walked down the road listening to the sound of her heels, which were hurting her feet at this point. Neve never intended to be wearing them this long. She had been so focused on impressing a man she never really knew or was she trying to impress the only man she ever truly knew. Showing him what he had been missing out on all these years. In the back of Neve's mind she knew that Brandt would follow her, if he wasn't right now. They were a lot alike Brandt and Niccolo. They were men that liked to prove themselves. They were both men who hated losing. Proud, stubborn, loving in their own ways.

She carefully walked on the steps, unlocking the front door of the building before making her way inside the foyer and to her front door. She had no plans to stay for long, besides Brandt would be on her back if she wasn't back in Soho soon.

She went straight to the bedroom and pulled out her overnight bag and packed anything she could find before sitting on the bed to take those damn shoes off and throwing them across the room and into the wardrobe. She unbuttoned Brandt shirt. Oddly she didn't want to get rid of it, she was comforted wearing it but knew she couldn't so she took it off, leaving it on the bed and finding something else.

Neve heard a motorcycle screaming up the street and stop outside close by but didn't think of it because their neighbour did that all the time.

She allowed herself a few seconds to be spiteful, only a few and then she was going to let it be.

She positioned Brandt shirt perfectly on the bed, then took her engagement ring off placing it on the shirt, that still smelt like her ex.

Yes, she was playing into Niccolo's territorial side. Yes, she was baiting him into thinking something that wasn't true. That Niccolo was losing her to Will, but she wasn't the only one lying in this relationship.

He was going to come home at some point. He'd have to see it.

Just as she was feeling good about herself, Neve heard the front door open and froze before hearing footsteps, that weren't his. They were far too light. Neve walked into the hallway and saw a woman in motorcycle gear, which was more cat-suit then protective gear.

She suddenly got the sick feeling that Neve hadn't been the only woman in Jacks life

"Well, you are not what I expected" her thick Russian accent basically spat Neve's way

"And you are?"

"Someone who has wanted to meet you for a long time"

"Funny since I had no clue you existed"

They walked towards each other both knowing that this wasn't going to end painlessly. Neve easily blocked an elbow the blonde swung at her. Neve grabbed her arm and driving her into the wall, before kneeing her into the stomach. The blonde bowled over before grabbing Neve's hips slamming Neve into the hall table. She heard things smash before Neve fell on to the floor and received a kick to the head.

Before falling into darkness instantly


	7. Chapter 7

7

When Neve woke up again it was dark outside and she was lying in shattered glass, still in the hallway. She frowned and felt the dried blood on her head crack. She sat up as slowly as she could before resting her back against the wall. The few deep breaths she took, told her that her sides were bruised up not broken. Neve slowly made her way up onto her feet, hearing the crunching of the glass beneath her shoes. She looked into the hallway mirror and saw the damage to her face.

Brandt was going to kill her

An angry bruise had begun to dance around her left eye, red angry mark against her cheek and her bottom lip had spilt

She was a mess.

Neve shuffled back into the bedroom and the ensuite. The best place for her was the shower and she was going to be there until she felt at least a little better.

She made her way back to Soho and prepared herself for the onslaught that was about to happen. Neve had done everything he had told her not to do. This wasn't going to be pretty. He was going to be worried and scared but it was going to come out as anger but that was okay as long as she could sit down as he yelled at her.

#

Brandt heard heels clinking on the steps outside the door and it took all his willpower not to launch into a tirade. She had him terrified for hours, not answering his calls, no word at all and now she shows up like nothing was wrong. Like they didn't have a job to do. Like her ex-partner wasn't the bad guy.

Neve opened the door and stood before them beautiful and broken. Jeans and a white sweater never looked so good and somehow that made him more livid than he had been, if that was even possible.

"Is there something wrong with your phone?"

"Sorry William. They are kind of difficult to pick up when you're knocked out"

Ethan walked over and gently took her face in his hands, surveying the damage

"What happened?"

"I went to my flat to get some of my things and a Russian amazon ,on a motorcycle made her way into my home and she sure knew me. She was not a fan, clearly"

Suddenly they heard the siding door on to the balcony slam shut. Neve closed her eyes and shook her head.

"He's just worried"

"I know" she whispered

"What did this women look like?"

"Blonde. Legs up to her armpits and the complete opposite of me"

"Would you recognize her if you saw her again?"

Neve heard Benji furiously type of the keyboard before turning her screen around. Showing her a photograph of Niccolo and a blonde in the town of Suifenhe. Neve sighed and frowned

"That's her. Who is she?"

"We'll find out" Beniji told her confidently before she looked on to the balcony.

Neve wandered to the door and even though she wasn't sure she could handle this right now. She knew that it would only be worse if she left them in this state.

#

She closed the door behind herself and met him on the other side of the balcony. Neve didn't say anything at first, just leaning up against the railing. Needing to keep herself up but not wanting him to know it. He didn't look at her. He couldn't look at her.

"Give me your hand" she said softly

"What?"

Brandt frowned at her, before giving in and placing his hand in hers. She placed it gently on her chest, above her heart.

"See? Still beating. I'm okay"

"You might want to say that to your reflection"

"I'll heal"

"I don't just say things to hear myself talk"

"I know that, but I didn't know she was going to walk in and want a smack down. I don't even know who she is. That's my home. My life"

"Angel, Your life is a lie. I know that's hard to get your head around but it is" He cupped her face gently, tilting her head up "He was a lie. Your home, your relationship. You have to realize that before you get yourself killed"

"I know"

"Stop scaring me" he told her as his thumb brushed the corner of her mouth

"I'm not meaning too. I'm sorry"

"Don't be sorry just listen to me"

He tried to capture her dark hair that was flying into her face in the looked at the damage on her face. She wore bruises well but that didn't mean that he had to like that they were on her.

Her hands wrapped around his wrists and softly said his name. Suddenly the space between then was charged again, like it was that morning. He decided to be selfish so she couldn't back out again. He kissed her like he wanted to that morning. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing until one of her arms wrapped around her waist.

They had no idea that they were being watched, photographed and reported on.

#

Niccolo sat in his apartment on the South Bank looking through the photographs streaming through. It wasn't only what was happening but the marks on her. The way she leant against the railing. She was in pain and it was the betrayal, not by Neve but Gennadi that burnt him.

They had worked by each other's side for many years and although he knew she had some affections for him. Niccolo never knew she would go that far.

Neve was off limits – everybody that worked for him knew that. Neve was to stay out of that part of his life. The dangers and connections he had. Niccolo needed her safe but Gennadi had gone so far over that line, there was no going back. No way for her to crawl her way back, which was a shame. Genn used to be one of his most trusted allies. One of his most trusted allies that was currently sitting in a ball on his sofa awaiting her fate.

"See what you have done. She ran right into his arms because she's scared. You've made her do that"

"I'm not making her do anything. Nic, do you really think you can win her over to our side? Is that the big plan?" she chuckled "She works with the American government. She is a part of the problem"

"And what if now that she has seen you, she finds out about your other job? What if she finds out about him?"

"What if she does? After what he did to her. She's not going to want to be anywhere near him"

"You don't know her. You think you do but you know nothing. She will be a bull with a red flag now. Neve will use anything she can and you know he'll want to see her"

"Vincent, won't say anything"

"You think his loyalty lies with you just because you lay with him. Don't be foolish. All that they have been through. All that they have put each other through and she still has his respect. Neve earnt it. He will tell her everything just to gain her trust again. You need to grow up"

"Do you think her loyalty is with you anymore? Not now, Niccolo. I think it's pretty clear who she has chosen. She is working against you. She is working with them to take you down"

"I can get her back. She'll see sense"

"Who's naïve now?"

"You know if it wasn't for all our years together you would be at the bottom of the River Lea right now. Your years only get you so far, Gen. I will fetch you back from where I found you or I will do much worse if you don't smarten up. Understood"

"Whatever you say, Niccolo"

She stood up from the sofa and walked past him before he grabbed her wrist sharply and pulled her back. It had been a long time since he looked at her, the way he was right now. Gennadi had been longing for that look and longing to do what he wanted to do right now.

"Gen, don't touch her again"

He brushed her cheek gently and even though she knew this was a little bit of revenge for what Neve had been doing on the balcony. Gennadi didn't care. She had been his long before he even knew of Neve. She had been in love with him that long. She was going to steal this moment while it was on offer.


	8. Chapter 8

She sat in the corner of the room going through papers and prints out. Anything on Niccolo. It was like learning about an entirely new person that just looked the same. Neve knew he owned a number of properties around London and even England as a whole but looking at the list of properties but she couldn't believe it. It was going to impossible for them to find exactly where he was.

She had a fair idea he would still be in London. He needed all the time he could get and travelling far wouldn't work, it would be a waste of time. Niccolo was smarter than that. In London alone, he had forty properties they knew of. Not including the places brought under her business' name and any other aliases that they didn't know about.

They weren't going to be able to find him and she wanted to find him.

The truth was that Neve was feeling useless, in the team. All she had been doing was getting into trouble and needing to be bailed out and patched up. What good was she? A little voice in her head was telling her that Brandt had been right for firing her. Maybe the spy game wasn't her game. Sure she could seduce a guy, win his trust but what good was that here.

Life had been so simple – until it wasn't

Suddenly the walls started to fall in on her and Neve couldn't breathe.

She hoped up from the floor and grabbed her cigarettes and made her way to the door. She could feel Brandt's eyes on her before she turned at the door and smiled softly before waving her packet of cigarettes and walking out the door.

Neve made her way out on to the street and lent up against the wall, turning away quickly from the wind to light her smoke. She heard something in the laneway next to their building. Not a loud noise but something. She frowned to herself before walking over and down into the darkness. Looking for something, anything.

"Passero"

As much as she hated it. Neve spun around frightened. She felt his hands on her hips before he gently backed her on to the brick wall and tilted her into the light from a street lamp. Neve pushed him back

"Don't touch me" she said quietly "The past two days you have cut me and your girlfriend has knocked me out. Don't me dare touch me"

"What do you mean I cut you?"

"Last night when you got knife happy while having your pissing contest" she lifted her sweater and showed him the bandages. He cradled her face in his hands gently, amazingly she let him

"Caro amico, Mi dispiace tanto. Sei il mio angelo" he slowly moved on to the ground and kissed her bandages then her skin "Mi dispiace tanto"

She knew what he was saying. He had taught her to speak Italian and he had taught her well.

"Stop it" she whispered trying not to tear up but failing "Please stop"

"You want me to prove how much I love you? What do you want me to do? I'll do it. You want me to march up there. Have them arrest me? I'll do it"

"Whatever your plan is, it would still go on without you. What use is that?"

"See you do know me"

Neve pulled him up off the ground gently and on to his feet before he boxed her in against the wall. His lips hovered above hers. Her head and her heart were at odds again, just like the night before but the battle wasn't as fierce.

"Maybe your girlfriend would take over"

Niccolo's head dropped but she still couldn't move away

"She's not my girlfriend"

"She sure punches like she is. Five hours I laid in our hallway, knocked out and bleeding. She had keys to our house. How many times has she been there?"

"Knocked out and yet you can still send me a message" He held her engagement ring up in front of her eyes "This is yours"

"I don't want it"

"Too bad. I brought it for you" he eased it gently on to her finger "Because I love you and I don't care what you do in anger, because of what I kept from you. Sleep with him, I don't care. Just don't give him your heart. Don't let him hurt you, again"

She didn't want to talk about Will, not with the guy in front of her. Neve couldn't

"What are you planning? Who are you planning to hurt?"

"Someone who deserve it and the people who will stand in my way from doing so"

"London?"

"Think smaller. I'm not a monster, Passero"

"But you are going to hurt somebody?"

"Yes"

"How am I suppose let you do that?"

"Because they took something from me. That's how"

"And if he takes me from you"

Niccolo's back straightened and she smiled because she knew that she had hit a nerve. Neve meant too. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders

"The things that didn't work between you the first time, still wouldn't work now. Just like the things that work between us always will, Neve" That wasn't the answer she had been expecting and he could see it "If you want me to promise that I will never lay a hand on him. I'll do it"

"Nic" she whispered before he smiled brightly at her

"Say that again"

"Nic"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up off the ground, carrying her a few steps down the alleyway

"It's all going to be okay. You just need to trust me"

"Don't lay a hand on him" she told him, running her hand through his dark hair, burying her face in his shoulder

"I promise"

They heard footsteps on the street and they both froze before he set her back down on her feet.

She stepped away before Niccolo pulled her back and kissed her.

Neve steadied her nerves and walked out of the laneway to see Brandt on the front step of the building.

He saw her and smiled

"Why are you hiding in the shadow?"

"Didn't want anyone to notice any of us were in the building, I guess"

"See that training is still in there somewhere"

"Is it?"

"Trust me" he chuckled "Come on, Benji found something"

She followed him through the door but not before looking back down the street and seeing Niccolo poke his head out and watch her. Brandt met her on the rickety staircase and held out his hand to help her up. Foolishly she gave him her left hand. He felt the Asher cut diamond dig into his skin. An engagement ring that hadn't been there an hour ago.


	9. Chapter 9

He watched her climb the stairs and something was different, she was different. God, he had got her back for the briefest moment and now she was gone again. For some reason, it made him livid. Suddenly before he knew what he was doing. Brandt grabbed her by the elbow and pinned her against the wall as she looked up at him confused

"What are you doing?"

"What's going on?"

"You tell me"

"You're far away again"

"Not right now I'm not" she scoffed

"What changed between upstairs and now?"

"Nothing" she whispered "We don't have time for this"

She broke free from him and continued up the staircase and entered the room. Benji looked up and smiled at her.

She liked this guy.

"Found her. Gennadi Melnikov. Long-time comrade of your guy, by the look of it. Petty theft moved on to larceny, fairly quickly. Here's the kicker. Frequent visitor to Russian prisons"

"Only one thing a woman like that does in a prison" Ethan said looking out the window

"That's not the kicker though, is it Benji?" she asked quickly

"No, my darling it's not"

"Vince"

"Thirty-seven visits on the past twelve months"

"So he likes her" Brandt practically spat out

"Not necessarily" she whispered

"Was that jealousy?"

They looked at each other unwaveringly. She could feel her blood boil. She wanted to march over there and slap the stupid out of him. It was funny with everything going on, the male ego could still be so delicate.

They continued their staring contest until she conceded

"Ethan, I need to get over there"

"Nevie"

"Listen, I know women like this. They do it for the money, information or whatever they are needing. After a while, they forgot, they buy into the role they are playing and then they start talking. Trust me, she is a talker"

"Speaking from personal experience, are we?"

"Oh my god. Can we do this later, Will?"

"You want to go into a Russian prison and pay a visit to the man the tortured you, for hours. Who almost killed you?"

"I worked him for two years. I made him fall in love with me. I used him for our own gain, in the most intimate ways possible. I got under his skin and used him. We knew how dangerous he was. I knew what he would do. The only reason I am still alive is the fact that he did loved me"

"What a _great_ guy"

"Why are you making this about that?"

"You want to go see him!"

"William" she sighed "This is the only way"

His arms flew into the air exasperated before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door and stomping down the stairs. She turned around and looked at Ethan

"Vince is our first lead into anything to do with this. I have to go"

"One of us will go instead"

"He won't see you and he won't talk to Will but put me in a room with him. He'll talk"

"What if he doesn't tell us anything? What if the Russian Amazon hasn't actually told him anything?"

"Then we have lost nothing. You know I'm right, Ethan. Get me on a plane"

"You're not going by yourself"

"I didn't say I had too"

Ethan hated it as much as Brandt did but he knew enough, to know that Neve was making sense.

"What about him?" Ethan nodded his head towards the door. Talking about Brandt

"Him, I can handle"

"I need you guys too"

She cut Ethan off. He needed them to start working together. Neve always had that in the back of her mind. She didn't mean to fight with Will so much but that's why they always say. Don't get involved with someone you work with.

You never know when you have to work together again

#

She knew where he would be. Back at the house, his house, it still shocked her that he had brought a place in London. Neve was aware that she didn't know which way was up or down at the moment.

All the things that Niccolo had done to her, with her, because of her over the past few days wasn't helping but she also had to sort this mess out with Brandt.

Seemed ridiculous that with everything that was going on with the IMF and a possible terrorist threat that she was worried about two boys. She was worried about boy trouble. You can grow up but sometimes you were still in a high school corridor.

She rode that damn tube again and walked her way around Russell Square, to the house. Remembered how to pick a lock and walked into the foyer.

There he was sitting there on the sofa, silent

"Hey, I know your pissed but you can't just take off like that" she told him harshly walking around and standing in front of him, before seeing the long stem rose in his hand "Where did that came from?"

"You tell me. It was laying on your bed"

"I don't have a bed here"

"And now you're talking me in circles"

"I am not"

"You know the problem double and undercover agents" he told her harshly "I never know what side they are really on"

"You calling me a risk?"

"When did you see him?"

"I didn't"

"Christ Neve!"

She walked into the living room and sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of him.

"William"

"His girlfriend beat the shit out of you today. Knocked you out and what? You still find time to have a secret rendezvous?"

"That wasn't him"

"No, it was someone that works for him!"

"And that's why" she yelled before realizing what she had said

"Ohhh, that's why he came around. So he has people on you. He knows where the operation is. You don't think we need to know that information"

"I was going to tell you all"

"When?" Brandt slowly stood up and handed her the rose out of his hand. She looked up at him wide eyed before his hands cupped her face and he bent down kissed her cheek softly "Pick a side, Angel"

She watched him walk out of the room, up the stairs and out of sight.

She wasn't here for that. She wasn't here to go over relationships. She needed to go to Russia. They needed to know what Niccolo was up too. If she had to, Neve would go to Russia by herself. Despite what she told Ethan

Vince always did know more than his fair share information.

#

He walked back down the stairs a little while later to see her sitting on his kitchen counter. Drinking his best whiskey. They didn't say anything to one another as he walked through and stood in front of her, before picking up the glass and taking a sip.

"Getting into the good stuff?"

"If you're going to do it. Do it right"

"You can take the girl out of Ballycastle"

"Can't take Ballycastle, out of the girl" she said searching through her bag. She picked up her cigarette and wordlessly asked before permission to smoke inside, which he gave. She got as far as lighting it and taking one drag before he took it from her "Hey!"

"What?" he questioned playfully before stealing a puff

"Holy shit. Did hell just freeze over?"

They fell into a comfortable silence, they had always been good at those. Although she couldn't directly look at him right now either. She could feel his eyes roam over her. Neve had been in the wars of the past few days.

In truth, she knew that she had a concussion. She had a headache, she felt sick and dizzy. All things that she wouldn't be telling him. All things conceded, she probably shouldn't be drinking but she told herself that it would help the pain.

"I feel like I'm losing you again"

Her head shot up as she stared at him

"How?"

"Like Mayrbek's been waiting for you to show up or Niccolo is going to sweet talk you and you'll be gone again"

"Nic's trying too"

"Oh yeah?"

"Hmmm. I liked it. It was like having _my_ Jack back, you know? Like he is under there somewhere. Like it wasn't all a lie but I can't lie to myself. As much as I want that. He's not Jack. He was never Jack, you were right"

He walked the few steps between them and pick up her left hand gently. Moving her engagement ring from side to side

"And this?"

"Comfort I guess. Habit"

"And the balcony?"

"Hormones" she chuckled "Umm, that was. Comfort and protection and history"

"It didn't feel very historic"

Will cupped her face and tilted her head up. She took a deep, slow breath and he didn't start talking until she opened her eyes

"I have to go to Russia, Will"

"I know but that doesn't mean I have to like it and I am being in that room with you. Got it?"

"Yes boss"

"Go check the bedroom that isn't yours" he told her with a smile

"Why?"

"Go find out"

She hoped off the counter and walked towards the stairs eyeing him _suspiciously. Before trotting up the stairs happily._

 _He next saw her, she was walking back down with a box more than half her size, trying to see over the top. Neve rushed into the kitchen and dropped the box on the bench, before looking up at him_

 _"What did you do?"_

 _"Open it and find out"_

 _He had never seen her so excited in all their time together. It was cute. She pulled the lid off the box and gently moved the tissue paper._

 _"What did you do?" she whispered, lifting the trench coat out of the box._

 _"Convinced the IMF that since you were out on business when your other one got trashed. That they needed to reimburse you"_

 _"You didn't need to do that, Will"_

 _"Is it like the other one?"_

 _"It's better"_

 _She watched her pull the jacket on and pull the belt tightly around her waist._

 _"Good"_

 _He wrapped his fingers around the front of the fastened belt and pulled her swiftly towards him_

 _"Ah, that's why you brought me this"_

 _"Nah, just wanted to see you smile"_

 _She playfully dropped her forehead to his shoulder and groaned_

 _"We're never going to be able to be professional, are we?"_

 _"Too much has happened"_

 _She looked up at him and stayed there a while. They stayed there, staring at each other for the longest time. Sussing each other out. Trying to read the words unsaid._

 _"We better get back to Benji and Ethan. They seem to be doing all the heavy lifting"_

 _"Yeah, come on" he said quietly, before kissing her forehead "Let's go"_

 _She left his arms, grabbed her bag and walked out the door in her new coat. He couldn't help but smile about that._


	10. Chapter 10

_She stood on the tarmac of a private airfield in St Petersburg. Vince was being kept at a CIA black site, in hostile territory, that's how much power he had. They wouldn't even take him state side and wasn't even at a maximum security prison. Lord knew what they had done to him or what she was going to find but at least it was freezing._

 _Every memory of Russia or Chechnya she had were cold, for some reason but today it was sunny._

 _She hadn't worn any makeup, even though she wanted too. Neve also didn't want to hear Will bitch about her making an effort to see a harden criminal. Jeans, tee, converse and her new coat. She also didn't want to draw any attention that wasn't Vincent. She just want in the mood for that_

 _Neve was nervous to see him again. Was he still going to be disappointed in her? Angry? Would he want to hurt her again?_

 _It had been a job, it was meant to be a job but two years undercover and honestly under the covers with someone. It was hard to separate the two. The evil one that she had read about and the man that told her he loved her everyday when he stepped out the door and last thing every night. She had been on a case, he had been in a relationship. She had broken his heart. He had broken her. Neve guessed that she could understand the betrayal more now._

 _Karma was funny that way._

 _They piled into a dark sedan and into the back seat. She had been quiet for the whole flight and Brandt knew why. He let her be, let her mind tick over. Nothing he could say would stop it. Neve would probably kill him if he tired but he had to do something. He reached over and held her hand gently. Then something happened that he didn't expect, she rested her head of his shoulder, before a few seconds later, laying her legs over one of his._

 _She was delicate and quite frankly, it freaked him out. This wasn't his Neve and he didn't know whether to blame Vincent or Niccolo._

 _He wrapped her up in his arms and said nothing. What could he say? Assets weren't meant to meet their target ever again, that was the whole point. She was walking back into the guy's life and there was nothing he could do about it. Once again she had volunteered_

 _Maybe she was addicted to the danger, the electricity that comes with it._

 _He would much prefer that then she was still in love with the guy._

 _Once the car pulled up to the gate Neve untangled herself and quietly pulled the pieces back to together until she was made of stone, expressionless and everything an agent should be. It was pretty amazing to see it happen in front of him._

 _#_

 _Neve stood beyond the glass doors and took a deep breath, trying to slow her heart down. She didn't expect to ever see him again but here is was seconds away from sitting face to face with him._

 _Vincent Mayrbek_

 _He should have been the monster in her dream, but he really wasn't. Brandt was right, he had been more than an asset. More than her job, he had been something else entirely but one thing was uncertain_

 _How he was going to react to Brandt_

 _Will refused to stay out of the room but she had made him agree to keep his distance. The last thing she needed was to have the both of them circling each other._

 _The guards pressed the buzzer and the glass door slid open. Neve straighten her shoulders and walked on ahead, feeling Brandt very close behind her. They were lead into a single room and there he was._

 _Sitting behind a table, cuffed to the middle. Who were else guys kidding? That chain wasn't stopping Vincent if he wanted to get free._

 _He looked good. Clean shaven. Short cropped hair, greying on the side and those hazel eyes._

 _Prison apparently agreed with him_

 _Vince saw her and stared wide eyed before rising out of his chair, slowly_

" _What happened" he asked furiously "Who has done this?"_

 _She was stunned and confused until she remembered the bruises on her face. Neve touched her face softly. She had actually forgotten all about them, about the beating._

" _Umm, that's actually why I am here"_

" _Its not just to see my face?" he asked playfully sitting back down. She sat at the chair at the head of the table, not the other side like Brandt was expecting. She was as close as she could be and Neve knew it._

" _From zero to flirt in twenty seconds, impressive" she chuckled smiling at him "Only just found out that you were here. Wherever here is. I thought you were still out there. Ruling the world"_

" _The agency not good at passing on information?"_

" _Actually, I was fired. Something about getting too personally involved. It wasn't a quality they wanted in an agent. Good girls and the bad guys, I guess. Always a danger combination"_

" _Then who did that?"_

" _Gennadi Melnikov" Vince sat back in his chair "I think she's sleeping with my fiancé"_

" _Please don't tell me it is Niccolo Lombardi"_

" _You can laugh if you want too. It's kinda poetic justice, don't you think?"_

 _They smiled at each other before his face turned serious._

" _She's in love with him"_

" _I gathered that when she was kicking into me"_

 _She heard him take a deep breath and his eyes changed. Something behind them got dark_

" _Solnyshko" he uttered quietly_

" _I'll heal. The shock hurt more"_

 _She stopped suddenly, realising how personal that just was. Vince must have noticed, he reached over and held her hand gently. Neve looked up at him surprised before smile._

" _They are planning something and I think it's pretty bad but I don't know where to start. Has she mentioned anything at all, while she's been here?"_

 _Vince just smiled at her_

" _So you want my help?"_

" _You can tell me to take a leap. It's totally up to you"_

" _But then you'll go away"_

 _They heard a disapproving noise from the corner. She turned around and looked at Brandt. They battled each other wordlessly for a second or two before she turned back to Vince_

" _Is she a talker?"_

" _She's pretty vocal" he smirked_

" _Ugh,Vince. That's not what I meant"_

 _He laughed good-heartedly and memories flooded back to her. Neve had blocked out so much of her time with Vince, she forgot how great his laugh was._

" _Vince" she urged sitting forward in her seat "Anything you know is more then what we've got"_

 _Still holding hands he looked into her eyes and lent forward. Brandt watched him. It was clear he was still under her spell, even knowing who she truly was. He was still beguiled and bewitched by her. Maybe that was just Neve. She had always been the only thing Brandt ever had in common with this guy._

" _They're not planning genocide or anything but it's very personal to him"_

" _Niccolo?"_

" _All is not what it seems with his mother"_

" _Mother or Step mother"_

" _Family general"_

" _How do we know you're not bullshitting us?" Will interrupted_

" _Brandt!" She chastised him straight away._

" _It's not going to do me any good lying to you. I'm not even in prison anymore. Nobody knows I'm here and nobody knows where here is. I'm exactly where you wanted me, little man"_

" _Why did they move you from a prison to a black site?"_

 _There was something in her voice that Brandt didn't like. It was somewhere near admiration and pride but the thing that worried him the most was the interest, the care and then there was the connection. He had never witnessed anything like this before. It should have been simple but then again, nothing about Neve was ever simple._

" _I was still doing what I do. Location has nothing to do with it. Business is still business. Things were still getting sold and traded. Money still was being made"_

" _Did you do any business with Jack?" she stopped and sighed "Niccolo?"_

" _He moves a lot but he doesn't do good business. China is yes easier for weapons but it is watched with diligence"_

" _You need to move them through the small European countries"_

" _You do remember me" he smiled "Lombardi's biggest downfall, other than beautiful women, is his ego. He thinks he is smarter then everybody. He thinks he won't get caught. He thinks by moving what he is moving that its going to distract from what he actually wants to do"_

" _Which has to do with his family? On a small scale" she talked as she was processing her thoughts "Assassination?"_

" _Yes"_

 _She felt Brandt tap her arm before moving towards the door. He was out of the room and Neve couldn't move. She gripped Vince hands and looked over at him torn._

" _I don't want to leave you. I know what they do here"_

 _He pulled her hands up and kissed her knuckles on each hand_

" _Think of it as karma, Solnyshko"_

" _I knew the risks going in. I'm not as naive as people think. I knew what happened to people that double cross you and that was exactly what I was doing. I'm not victim. I lived through it. I'm okay"_

 _She looked back at the door to double check they were alone. Surprisingly they were and there were no cameras. Neve reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a cuff key_

" _That's treason, Malysh"_

 _Neve wasn't listening. She leant of the table and slipped it into the pocket of his jumpsuit_

" _Don't do it straight away but when you see an opportunity, Take it" she cradle his face in her hands and kissed his cheek softly before brushing her thumb across skin "Consider it an apology and penance"_

 _She straightened up before he grabbed her wrists and pulled her forward swiftly, so fast she gasped. They were nose to nose when he fixed her with his eyes. She couldn't look away"_

" _Don' .Niccolo" he hissed "He has many faces and he will use all of them. Do you understand? Don't fall for any of it"_

" _Vince?"_

" _I'm mean it, Malysh"_

 _She nodded her head and tried not to waver before he let her go. Neve walked out of the room and never looked back, even though she felt his eyes on back as she walked away._

 _#_

 _They went back to their hotel and he noticed she was busying herself. She wouldn't be still for too long. All signs that she was living up in her head, a hurricane of thoughts surrounding her, drowning her._

 _Brandt let her for a while but as time went on. He decided enough was enough._

 _He walked over to the open bathroom door, leant up against the doorframe and watched her slash water on her face. Her dark hair piled up on top of her head._

" _What's Solnyshko?" he asked gently._

 _She looked up at him through the mirror_

" _Um, means sunshine or small sun depending on how it's used"_

" _I didn't know he called you that"_

" _There is probably a lot I didn't tell you at the time. Given the situation" she chuckled "Double agent and all"_

" _You okay?"_

" _Always"_

 _He knew that she wasn't but also knew that it was the only answer she was going to give him. Will shook his head and walked away, leaving her alone._

 _Suddenly she didn't want to be alone._

 _She busied herself a little longer before making her way to the doorway. He was tapping away on his laptop, he was annoyed, which annoyed her for some reason._

 _Neve moved slowly over and sat on the bed closest to him, folded her legs underneath herself and stared into space for a seconds._

" _Whats Niccolo's mothers name again?"_

" _Emailia Schneider. Might want to contact MI6"_

" _On it"_

 _She nodded her head softly and staring off into her own world. Vince, Niccolo, Brandt. Her world was certainly a hell of a lot more busy these days. He was Vince, her Vince. Not the man that everybody said that he was. Sort of like Niccolo. She was starting to believe it was her. Maybe that was her type. Suddenly the tapping of the laptop stopped and she could feel him staring at her and not kindly_

" _What William?"_

" _Nothing"_

" _Bullshit"_

" _Why didn't you follow me out of there?"_

" _What?"_

" _You stayed in there with him for a long time"_

" _Yeah we had a quickie before they sent him back to his cell"_

" _Neve!"_

" _What?" What do you want me to say? We were saying goodbye" she fired back "You are blinded by your hatred for him. Why do you hate him so much?"_

" _Do I need to get you a mirror?"_

" _You are scared by these marks more then I will ever be"_

" _I was there Neve!" he shouted without meaning too "They grabbed me on the street, they clocked me on the head and I woke up there. I woke up to you screaming in the next room"_

" _What the hell are you talking about?"_

" _Neve, I still wake up to you screaming, even today"_

" _How long did they have you?"_

" _The whole time I think. That was my torture and he knew it. I couldn't get out. I didn't know where we were, I still don't. I either blacked out or I've blocked out the memory but I was there"_

" _Why didn't you say something!" she yelled him turning around_

" _When Neve? When we had you in that filthy building? Do I just bop it into conversation? When we were stitching you up with whatever we could find? Maybe right before you passed out for the pain? That's the prefect time, don't you think?"_

" _How about after when I was recovering? Maybe before or after you terminated me? The years since when you were keeping taps. We went through the same thing and the only people that could have understood that was us. You choose to walk away"_

" _So this is my fault now?"_

" _I thought you left because" she stopped and pressed her lips together before pouting and nodding her head "You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore"_

" _Oh nah. No-no. If I have to spill my guts, you do too"_

" _I wasn't me anymore"_

" _What?"_

" _I thought it was because I wasn't me. The person you fell in love with. I wasn't her. I was mark up by a man you hated and I will always be" she shook her head angrily "What else could it have been"_

 _He stalked across the room grabbed her and kissed her so hard that she bent over. Neve held on to his arms before he pulled her in by the waist as his fingers of his other hand pressed into the back of her neck._

" _It was never that"_

" _You didn't see your face at your house the other night, Will"_

" _Neve, I didn't keep you safe and that was my job. So seeing your scar now just brought all that back. I failed"_

" _You didn't fail" she said wrapping her arms around his neck "Let's figure out what Jack is planning and deal with that first"_

" _We're not done here, okay?"_

 _The laptop started beeping and Will started to wonder if they would ever get a good moment alone without anything else looming. She could see the irritation in his eyes and she chuckled sweetly_

" _They're just doing their job"_

 _Neve walked over to the screen and pressed the right button before she saw Benji_

" _Hi A Stóirín"_

" _Oh you're cute" she laughed and her face softened at the sound of someone else speaking Gaelic "How are you going Benji?"_

" _That was going to be my question"_

" _Better than expected"_

" _Yeah, we got Brandt's report"_

" _He's already done a report?" she looked over the edge of the computer and smirked at Will "You're such a nerd"_

" _Yeah because it not like we're on a timeline or anything"_

 _Brandt sat behind her on the windowsill so Benji could see them both_

" _Well while we're tracking everyone down in his family tree" Benji joked "How you feel about being to a romance cabin in Italy?"_

" _What?" Brandt asked confused_

" _Lake Maggiore?" she asked searching through her handbag on the desk_

" _That's the one. You'll might have to break in though"_

" _Not when I have a key" she chuckled "Fiancé of a crazy, table for one?"_

" _We're looking for anything we can use, Sweetheart"_

" _On it"_

 _The screen went black and Neve turned around to face Brandt. Suddenly things were awkward between them. In the moment they had said a lot and neither of them were revealing people and in the moment, they had revealed a hell of a lot._

" _Cabin in Italy?" he questioned "How rich is this guy?"_

" _Not short of a penny. Although now I know it's all dirty money"_

" _You do like those bad boys" he teased smirking. Defusing the awkwardness. She was relieved._

" _You're not actually a boy scout yourself"_

" _Oh that I know"_

 _She playfully threw a cushion at him. He caught it one handed before getting back on the laptop and getting back to work._


	11. Chapter 11

_She wondered how much that the IMF spent on fuel for their private jets. She shouldn't really be complaining but it was just more interesting now that she didn't work for the government and just paid her taxes._

 _The truth was that she was nervous to bring Will there._

 _Their place in Italy._

 _It was her favorite place, a lot of first happened there, lot of good memories there. Having Will there with fresh memories of Vince in her head. It was quite surreal. How can her heart be pulled in three directions and be confused in each place_

 _As they went through this case Neve was understanding why Will fired her. Maybe he was protecting her but he wasn't wrong when he said – she didn't know where to draw the line._

 _That's not good for an agent undercover._

 _They landed at Malpensa and she drove a town car to Stresa. They didn't say much to one another. They hadn't since yesterday._

 _Although him constantly changing the songs on her ipod had slowly started to drive her a little crazy_

" _Do you have musical bipolar?"_

" _Well, if you didn't listen to so much crap"_

" _Feel free to change it to Italian talk radio, if you really hate it"_

" _Ugh" he changed it again "You are such a girl"_

" _If I wasn't, you would like me"_

 _He smiled over at her. He remembered this Neve. The cheeky Neve, who never thought about what she was saying, because she was comfortable._

 _Brandt had missed her_

 _Finally he found something he liked. Seventies rock that he actually loved_

" _Didn't I introduce you to these guys?"_

" _No, I always loved them. We just listened to them a lot when we were" she stopped for second "together"_

 _Something caught his eye out the window as he watched it zoom by_

" _Was that a monastery?" he asked before laughing "You live in a town with a monastery"_

" _Why is that funny?"_

" _Oh my god"_

 _Neve could tempt a saint, let alone a man of the cloth. She never saw how beautiful she really was. That was always the agencies secret weapon. She didn't even have to bat an eyelid to have men drop to their knees._

" _We're almost there"_

" _You guys here a lot?"_

" _Few times a year"_

" _You certainly lived a charmed life" he said bitterly under his breath, not soft enough for her not to hear_

" _Yes, with a psycho"_

" _Who you're still in love with"_

 _She looked away from the road and stared at him_

" _I can't just switch it off, like some people that I know"_

" _That's not what I did, Neve"_

" _Could have fooled me"_

 _She went back to the road and shook her head. Pissed at him, pissed at Jack, pissed at the world, pissed at the situation. Neve shook her head and took a deep breath._

" _Is that what you think happened?"_

" _It doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"_

" _Neve"_

" _Listen, let's figure out what this whole thing is or who he is looking for or going after and let stop it"_

" _After that what? You go back to your old life"_

" _Can't see why not?"_

" _Stand at a reception desk and wait on people"_

" _What's so wrong with that?"_

" _You're capable of so much more"_

" _Well, who's fault is that"_

" _I was protecting you" he growled_

 _She didn't say anything for the longest time. Neve wanted to be calm instead of biting each other heads off, like they always seemed to do._

" _You always say that I walked over the line of personal and professional and seeing Vince again. I understand why. Maybe I wasn't in love with him but yes there was affection between Vince and I. There still is. I'm a big enough person to admit that. I care for him but you can't sit on your high horse either. You decommissioned me because I got hurt and you were no longer just my handler. We fell in love, or at least I did with you and I refuse to apologize for that, Will. I'm not the only one to blame about walking a tight rope of personal and professional. I also do not apologize for the way I put my life back together after it all blew up in my face. So yes, working in a hotel may seem mundane to someone like yourself who is used to living the way you do but it is still a life and after this is all done. I'm going back to London to live it"_

" _Why London?"_

 _She could have given him the clinical answer. Duel citizenship makes everything easier but she decided not to lie._

 _Neve looked over at him and smirked playfully_

" _Carnaby Street"_

" _Sixties chick to the very end"_

" _Living the dream just in the wrong era"_

 _There she was, the girl he remembered. The girl he kept in his memory. Brandt just caught a glimpse of her, yet again._

#

 _They turned the corner and drove down until he saw a two story terracotta coloured villa covered in Campsis a garden of lavender, Cypress and olive trees, of course._

 _She parked the car and he followed her to the front door before she let him in and opened all the windows. Neve excused herself and said something about seeing the neighbours. He was too busy taking in the place to actually listen._

 _Next time he saw her, Neve had arm full of random things but mostly a huge white box. He walked over and tried to take it all from her._

" _I got it"_

" _You don't have to do everything by yourself, you know?"_

" _Easier that way" she moved past him and went into the living area before dropping everything on the coffee_

" _What's in the box?"_

" _Catalogues"_

" _That boxes if full of catalogues?"_

" _No, just a really big catalogue" she watched him move closer and slide the mail of the top of the box "Brandt!"_

" _Designs By Magdalena" he looked over at her quickly "Is this your wedding dress?"_

 _She briefly thought about lying, evading or even yelling but Neve knew it wouldn't get her anywhere, not at this point._

" _Yeah" she whispered "Not that it really matters"_

" _Show me"_

" _No" she chuckled sweetly_

" _Neve, come on"_

 _She cleared her throat and stepped around him before turning around to face him again_

" _I think I am going to go upstairs and sleep for a little bit. The drive took it out of me. Wake me up and a couple of hours, if I'm not already, ok?"_

 _He reached out and took her hand gently before she smiled at him again_

" _Angel?"_

 _She walked over and kissed him on the cheek_

" _I'm ok, I promise"_

 _He watched her walk upstairs. It seemed like he was always watching her walk away these days. Will hated just a little more each time._

 _Will walked around the house, got to know where everything was. The place was total peace and quiet, being set some fifty metres away from the road. The northern side of the house overlooking the lake with a huge, what looked like a brand new deck and the south side being shadowed by a mountain._

 _The place was paradise_

 _He taking in the back porch, it was Neve. He knew it was. Right down to the twinkle light wrapped around the bannisters and the railing. She had always wanted something like this. Summer nights on the deck, watching the stars and taking a deep breath. This was Neve._

 _She deserved more then what she had right now. He was going to give it to her, if only for a moment._

 _#_

 _Neve felt herself being lighten shaken before she opened her eyes and rolled on to her back, seeing him sitting on the edge of the bed. Her face was still a little red and puffy, she had been crying at some point._

" _How long have I been out?"_

" _A little while" he said stroking her cheek. She closed her eyes briefly "You want get up and put that dress on"_

" _Will, I'm never wearing that dress"_

" _Do you trust me?" he asked quietly before she softly nodded her head "Put the dress on. I'll wait downstairs"_

 _She sat up in the bed and looked at him confused before he disappeared into the hallway. She was confused but did what she was told._

 _Brandt wasn't sure how many times he paced the floor awaiting for her but judging on the limited wedding dress he had seen, he imagined that they were exactly easy to get into. What did he know, he was a guy._

 _He saw bare feet on the staircase she appeared in a skin tight cream lace and beaded dress. He stared at her, froze and tried to get his heart to start beating again. She stood on the last step and saw his face_

" _Ugh, this is ridiculous" she told him before turning around and moving back upstairs._

" _Woah, hang on. Come here"_

 _There wasn't a curve that dress wasn't hugging, that he wasn't appreciative of. She sighed and walked towards him. As she got closer he could see that she was barely holding it together. He reached out for her hand, she didn't hesitate to take it_

" _William"_

" _I thought you were trusting me"_

 _He walked her over to the sliding doors that lead outside before reaching over switched on the lights. Neve looked around. The lights, the water of the lake, the stars. She looked over at him confused._

" _What are you doing?"_

" _You deserve one dance in that dress, even if it's not with the man that you expected"_

" _To no music?"_

" _You always play music in your head anyhow"_

" _Yeah, I do"_

" _I know" he chuckled before holding her close._

 _She pressed her lips together the way she always did when she was nervous and looked over his shoulder to the water as they swayed_

" _You didn't have to do this, you know?"_

" _Just making up for being a jerk"_

" _So you owe me a couple of dances then?"_

" _One every day for the rest of your life"_

" _Don't worry, I give as good as I get"_

 _They listened to the sound of the water lazily hitting the bank and the rustling of the layers of her dress._

 _They didn't say anything for the longest time but then again they didn't need too. She get lost in her own head, thinking over anything that had gone on of the past few days. Suddenly her grip around him got tighter_

" _I'm sorry" she whispered_

 _Brandt looked down at her confused_

" _For what? You haven't done anything wrong"_

" _I let Niccolo manipulate me, back in London. I fell for it"_

" _Honey, no one blames you for that. He was using everything you have had between you, to get what he wants"_

" _And I let him"_

" _You're human. Never apologize for loving someone. Even if it is someone like him"_

" _Rookie mistake"_

" _Maybe but you are still a rookie. Our job takes time and slowly takes the trusting parts of us away. I'm glad you still have them" He stopped and spun her, just to get her to smile, it worked "But he did have eyes on us in London. He probably knows where we have been and he probably is still watching us, right now"_

" _Well, isn't he going to be pissed?"_

" _Yeah, his fiancé dancing with another man in the wedding dress meant for him. You said he was a jealous guy, right?"_

" _He likes the things that he see as his, to be his. Yes"_

 _Brandt moved closer, she smiled as the noses danced playfully_

" _Mine first"_

 _She knew it was coming but he did move fast and caught her off guard when he kissed her. She didn't think, she just kissed him back, like she always had. If Brandt was turning into a habit, he was a good one._

 _She gave over control, didn't think and had to remind herself to breath_

 _#_

 _Niccolo sat in his apartment in London and watched the live feed stream through from_ _Stresa. He always had that place watched, he had used it from some business dealing, met some dubious people there. He had always been nervous taking her there but Neve loved it and what's a fiancé to do._

 _That said, Neve was trying his patience._

 _He knew she would eventually take a trip to see Mayrbek, but that didn't mean that he was happy about it._

 _Now she was in the arms of the man that hurt her beyond repair, in the dress meant for their wedding, getting intimate in their house_

 _He couldn't tear his eyes away from the laptop even though he really wanted too. She pulled herself closer to him before this guy, this agent slowly and gently guided her towards the house. They never broke apart, not for a second, not until they were out of sight._

 _Niccolo knew where they were heading and he couldn't blame the guy. Even with no makeup and hair natural and plain. Neve looked stunning. Then again, she never did need any of that stuff. Niccolo used to tell her that all the time and Neve would just chuckle and keep putting it on anyway._

 _Gennadi rounded the corner and walked over to his desk, she perched on the edge and watched him._

" _One slip up from you and look at all the damage"_

" _She was never going to work with us" she told him shaking her head " I told you to get rid of her once we found out what she truly was but you didn't"_

" _Look at them, Genn"_

" _That was always going to happen. She always loved him more than she loved you. Once he track her down, it was game over. Don't blame me because your fiancé isn't loyal"_

" _America is not her country"_

" _I wasn't talking about her country. I was talking about him. If you want her so much, get rid of him"_

" _I promised her I wouldn't touch him and I keep my word"_

 _She didn't like that._

 _Gennadi didn't like this man in front of her. She wanted the real Niccolo, not this watered down man that Neve had turned him into. The real Niccolo was in there somewhere and she was going to find him._

 _Gennadi slowly hopped off the desk and lightly trailed her hand up his arm_

" _Do you know what he is doing to her right now?" she asked softly as she walked around his chair, her hand slowly trailing after her. Never leaving his body "His hands all over her"_

" _Genn" he warned_

" _Remembering things that he had long forgotten"_

" _Stop"_

" _How she reacts. How she sounds"_

 _Suddenly Niccolo was up out of his chair and pinned her to the wall, with a tight grip around her jaw_

" _This isn't a game. Gennadi" he shook her "You understand me? Don't test me because she is more valuable, to not only me but your boyfriend Vince. Pray he never gets out of where he is and hope that I never get sick of your games because that will be the end of you"_

 _He released her before she gasped for air_

" _What makes her so special?"_

" _Neve is very rare and worth the trouble to get her back"_

 _He sat back down and closed his laptop and his mind started to tick over. Niccolo needed to get her back before it was too late._

 _#_

 _When Brandt woke up and she wasn't still beside him, he low key started to freak out. He got dressed and thought he'd go downstairs but he saw the light down the hallway on and followed it._

 _She was sitting on the floor of a home office, wearing a satin robe, all legs and in deep thought with files and boxes all around her._

" _Do you ever sleep?"_

" _No, I'm robot"_

 _He sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder before she smiled over at him._

" _Just for the record. What just happened wasn't a part of the plan tonight"_

" _Darlin'" she said softly "That was always going to happen, even since you stalked me into an alleyway"_

" _You looking for clues, Inspector Gadget ?"_

" _Looking a sign, anything really" she chuckled "Everything seems legit and its really annoying"_

" _Everything here might be"_

" _I should have been something. I'm an idiot"_

" _You were the one person he didn't want to know. He would have gone to great lengths to cover the truth up. Stop beating yourself up"_

" _We haven't gotten anywhere"_

" _We have. Trust me, when we get back to London. There is going to be plenty of box of paper work and file and well, crap really sent over from MI6 and we are going to get him"_

 _Suddenly the laptop on the desk started beeping. Neve and Brandt looked at each other, knowing what it was. Or more so, who it was._

 _She took a shaky breath before standing up. Brandt watched her walk over and sit in his chair before pressing the right button_

 _There he was – the man in question. Expressionless but with fire in his eyes – she loved that she had pissed him off._

" _Having fun?"_

" _Yes actually I am" she smiled wickedly at him "Thanks for asking"_

" _Can tell. You're positively glowing"_

" _I'm glad"_

" _Big trip down memory lane for you the past few days?"_

" _Yeah, its been fantastic actually. As it turns out, that little bitch of yours is quite the talker but you'd know all about her pillow talk, wouldn't you?"_

" _You're one to talk"_

 _It took all Brandt's willpower to not walk over there but she was handling herself better then he thought she would have_

" _Hand yourself in Niccolo. We will figure out what the hell is going on. MI6 is now involved. We'll find out who you are after and we will protect them. You haven't gone to that place of no return yet"_

 _They stared at each other for the longest time. The air became thick with tension, even though a computer scene_

" _I guess this is a no to my offer"_

" _To join you?" she clarified "No way in the world would I join you, now that I know who you are Not in this life or the next"_

" _Its not that easy"_

" _What? To walk away from you?"_

" _Many people have tried with a bad result"_

" _I'll take my chances. I have a good team"_

 _He smiled and took his head almost kindly, as if he thought it was funny_

" _Its not that easy, Neve. You can try but you'll always come back"_

" _I imagine you can see the back deck, right?"_

" _Oh yeah, I've seen it all night long"_

 _She looked over the top of the laptop at Brandt quickly before back at Niccolo_

" _I'm glad. Keep watching"_

 _She ended the call and slammed the screen down before leaving the room._

 _She heard Brandt calling for her, asking her questions but she was so filled with rage that she couldn't stop. Pulling the slide door open and turning on the lights._

 _Neve calmly walked over to the edge near the railing before pulling her engagement ring off her finger and throwing it into the lake_

" _Try and give that back to me, you asshole"_

 _She heard Brandt laughing standing in the doorway. She turned around and frowned_

" _It is funny when your rage isn't pointed at me"_

" _I just threw twenty thousand dollar into a lake"_

" _With an audience"_

" _Would it be too much if I flipped him the bird?"_

" _Yep"_

" _Well, I'm doing it mentally"_

" _I'm sure he knows that" he offered her his hand "Come on, you need sleep"_

 _She took his hand and walked inside before Brandt locked the door behind them walked her back upstairs. He was sure that he was the one that wasn't sleeping this time around_


	12. Chapter 12

Italy felt like a huge waste of time to her. Like she was going to find the magical answer in a dusty study. Although personally it was pretty successful. Neve and Brandt had gone a whole day without fighting, which should have been noted as one of the signs of the second coming.

There she was on another government jet, on her way back to London and she wasn't really feeling anything. They had found out information from Vince but she was confused. She should have hated the guy but didn't. She threw her gorgeous engagement right in the drink but didn't know how she felt about Niccolo, even though in her mind she knew that he was a bad guy.

What he was doing was personal, which wasn't what they thought at all so effectively, she guessed that the trip was a success.

She had been quiet on the jet and Brandt knew that was never a good sign. She was quiet in the car and she only muttered a thank you once when he opened the door of their new hideout.

She took an opportunity to go back downstairs and have a cigarette, she didn't dare to light up while in the room with the rest of them.

Neve sat on the step on the building and for the first time in a few days, enjoyed a quiet moment. One without her mind driving her crazy or her heart aching or even, sleeping with ex boyfriends.

Was that what Brandt was?

He had been her handler. They never went out on an actual date. She had never dressed up for him. What the hell was he?

This was the wrong time to be thinking about this.

She heard footsteps behind and didn't have to turn around to know who it was

"Is he bossing everybody around up there, already?"

Ethan sat down next to her, before she offered him a cigarette. They just smoked and didn't say anything for the longest time. She felt him looking at her but she wasn't ready. Neve was fine with everybody else. She could put on a brave face and most people believed that she was as tough as she made out but never Ethan. It didn't work

"You know Brandt better than anybody. You know the answer to that"

"I used too. I don't know about that anymore. Been a long time"

"Do you know who Luca Franz is?"

"Second biggest mafia boss in Calabria - The Ndrangheta"

"Luca had a sixteen year old daughter Sofia, she disappeared. The rumour was that she was pregnant and he sent her to one of the places, girls in trouble go too. She gave the baby up for adoption but never came back. She changed her name and made a whole another life for herself. Met an painter in Berlin"

"And she had another son"

"Named him Niccolo" Ethan chuckled "What is it with you and gangsters?"

She laughed and threw her cigarette away

"If she was a Mafia princess. There is no telling how many enemies she had. This car accident that killed her. Probably wasn't a car accident and the IMF doesn't concern itself with petty vendettas"

"That might be so but Niccolo is still on their radar and its in the public interest to keep an eye on him. In case it bites us later on"

"How long did it take to sell that one?"

"Quite a while"

"Did I fall in love with him?" Ethan looked over at him confused "Vince"

"I think you were really young. I think it was your first gig and it was a tough gig for a rookie. I know our jobs are very black and white. There's the good guy and the bad guy. That's the job but life isn't a job. The world is grey. You can do terrible things and be kind to the people you care about. Do you think the Mob boss' daughter, treated the son she got to keep, poorly? No. She loved him" he stopped and didn't say much for a little while "That's why I think you broke Vince out?"

"He got out?"

"Yeah. You must be better than I thought because they reviewed all the footage of your visit and cleared the both of you straight away and the IMF"

"He didn't deserve to be at a black site. Criminal, yes but that's just the Russians being spiteful"

"It's not the Russians you have to worry about, Neve. It a little closer to home"

"I can handle it"

When she said it, she meant Brandt and they both knew it. Brandt and Vince was like standing on a rickety rift on a flooded river. Anything could happen.

"Neve, things are going to calm down. We'll get this handle and you can go back to your life"

"Can I?" she asked quietly "There's not much of it let, that I want to keep and most of it wasn't real to begin with. I was engaged to the mafia and didn't know it. That's pretty pathetic for a spy"

"Niccolo knew you were a spy from the get go or early on at least. He knew how to play you and did"

"And I didn't notice"

"You weren't looking, Neve" he told her softly "Stop beating yourself up and stop beating yourself up about Vince. You were doing your job and you did it well, if you were wondering"

"Well I'm sucking at this case aren't I?"

"We wouldn't have knew about Niccolo's mother is it wasn't for you. We would still be thinking on a grand scale. We're closing in. We just have to figure out who killed her and we've got who he wants to kill. Come on" he said standing up and offering her his hand.

#

She was still holding it once they walked into the room upstairs where Benji and Brandt were waiting

"What did you do?" Brandt accused

"I had a cigarette"

"Not that smartass. Your boyfriend broke out of the black site. He worked you didn't he?"

"I'm not that stupid"

"Congrats, you just helped a terrorist"

"God, why are you so dramatic?" she chuckled.

He swung on of the computer screens around to face her before almost violently pressing the play button, which begin a news report.

 _The body was found near The Globe in Southwark yesterday, has now been identified by dental records to be twenty seven year old Gennadi Melnikov . who relocated to London three years ago. She is known to police and is believed to linked to an underground syndicate_

Brandt looked over the computer screen at the smirk on her face. Neve was enjoying this. She like having the power she had over these men. The evil men that fell for her.

"When did you get so cold?" Brandt asked her astonishment clear in his voice

"What? We have no idea who she was involved with. It could have been a number of people, for a number of reasons. The bitch beat the crap out of me. What do you want me to do? Shed a tear?"

"He promised you that he would take care of her"

"And Vince for one, keeps his promises"

Brandt shook his head and stared at her.

"You helped him break out and now he is killing people for you. Why? Because she was sleeping with your precious Niccolo?"

"Yes, the world is worse for losing a cold hearted bitch like Gennadi Melnikov"

"She's not the only one"

"One visit and you think I've gone over to the dark side?"

"Neve, for gods sake. Niccolo has just lost his fiancé in dramatic fashion. Days later he loses his side piece. He is going to be unhinged now and who do you think he is going to go after?"

"Good, I hope he is going after Vince. Vince may take care of the problem for us"

"Fucking hell" he chuckled almost bitterly "You're in deep. A twenty minute conversation and he got his hooks into you again"

"I'm not talking about this right now"

"Why not?"

"Because this is about us. Not but this case"

"Since when has there been a line"

"Exactly my point. I'm drawing one right now"

"Vince is a part of this now Nevie" Ethan told her gently "The second that he killed her. He became a part of it"

"No Neve. He became a part of this that second you broke him out" Brandt was yelling now.

"I don't break him out"

"Tell me exactly what you did so I can explain it later"

Neve huffed, she was getting pissed off now. She saw no fault in being loyal and that's what she had been. She wasn't an idiot. Vince was a bad guy, he did horrible things and sold, god knows what. He was feared and for good reason. Other than the night she wished that she couldn't forgot. The night she had seen the other side to him. She knew too well who Vince really was. She wasn't completely bewitched by him but Vince had always been good to her, treated her well. He had been loyal to her. He had kept her safe, until he was the danger but that was the job.

"I gave him a chance"

"To get away. What aren't you getting?"

"The key I gave him could have opening a filing cabinet for all I knew. I gave him a chance. A slim chance"

"And five people are dead. No wait, Gennadi makes six"

"Collateral damage"

Brandt looked at her wide eyed and as if he had never seen her before. He didn't know if she was putting on a front or what but this wasn't the woman he was with in Italy. She wasn't the woman that lived in his memories. This was someone different entirely.

"Christ" he uttered before walking out of the room "I can't deal with you right now"

"That actually might be a good idea" she told Ethan " I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back in a little while. When everything has calmed down"

Ethan nodded his head but didn't discourage her either. She walked out of the room and down the stairs, out the front door. Only to see a single red rose placed on the door step, where she had just been with Ethan. A red rose just like the one left a Brandt place

"Jack" she whispered to herself looking down the street.

Although the line had blurred. This was an invitation like only her Jack, could give her. Jack, not Niccolo.

#

He would want this conversation in private, so there was only one place she could think of to go. Yes, he would be angry. Yes, this could be a terrible mistake but she was going to do it anyhow.

If Neve could work him somehow, play the part and get a little more information out of him. Then she was going to do what she had do to. He was going to be emotional, grieving and weak

This could be her best chance or her greatest mistake, but she was willing to take risk.

She walked down the sidewalk and had her keys ready at hand even before she walked up the stairs and into their flat.

He had to be there. It had to be here.

Neve was barely in the door before a hand grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the back of the front door.

"Your boyfriend killed my girlfriend"

Neve couldn't get a word out. All she could do was gasp for air


	13. Chapter 13

She clambered and thrashed as much as she could before he lifted her feet off the ground. One hand grabbing his shoulder, trying to push him away the other hand slowly and unknowingly she pulled a tiny dagger hidden under her belt, before gently pressing it on to his vertebral artery. Her eyes never left him. Niccolo slowly placed her back on the floor before releasing her

"Once a spy, always a spy"

"Last time I met you in private, I got sliced. I don't make the same mistake twice" she told him her voice raspy

"It wasn't that bad"

"I still have stitches"

"I'm sure your ex will help you with that"

"As Gen would for you. Oh, wait" she smirked "She can't"

"Did you do it?"

"I was in Italy. You know that"

"It was Mayrbek, Neve. We all know it was. Did you put a hit on her?"

"I think you are confusing my lifestyle, for yours. I don't put hits out on people and she was the one that was sleeping with him. Maybe you got her killed, didn't you ever think of that, hmm?"

"Do they teach you this in spy school? Talking people in circles?"

"Yep" she answered "And I didn't ask him to do that but he didn't like seeing me hurt, the way I am, either"

"You have us all on a string, don't you?"

She sometimes wondered if she did, though she didn't understand why.

She didn't do anything special, she wasn't seductive by any means but Gennadi was dead because of Neve and she wasn't even sorry about it.

Niccolo watched her take a deep breath before he closed the space between them. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the door and her hips with his.

"Gen, understood a part of me that you never did. She was the only one that did and you took that away from me" he hissed quietly in her ear before she turned her face "So now I am going to take that from you. I'm taking them all from you"

"Don't you think your dance card is a little full? Wouldn't want to take your eyes off the prize"

"Oh, you think that this is a full dance card. You really don't know me"

"That I know"

Just as Niccolo was off guard, smug and proud, she pushed him off her

He went to grab her again quickly but her pushed herself back and held the dagger out in front of her. Niccolo moved back with a smile on his face. Then he surprised her and laughed

"Don't you find it strange that you choose a knife as your weapon of choice?" he asked softly "Given everything that he did to you. You should have nightmares about blades. Everybody else around you is more scarred by that day then you are. Maybe you need to figure that out, Neve. Maybe you liked him treating you that way. You clearly like a shade of that, in your men. Vince, me"

"I didn't know any of this about you then"

He quickly grabbed both of her arms, wrapping them around her own body and stood closely behind her so she was trapped

"Didn't you?"

"You worked very hard to keep it from me"

"Hmm, if that helps you sleep at night but you know I'm right. You're in love with him, Neve. You're mark. You're target. A killer. Is it any wonder you weren't a spy for long. I don't know how but this. Her death, is on your hands"

"I'll sleep just fine. Trust me Darlin' "

"But in who's bed?"

He let her go quickly, so quickly she gasped Niccolo opened the door and walked out of the apartment, leaving her to catch her breath slowly and gently find a spot on the floor. Suddenly it felt like her throat was on fire.

#

Brandt opened the door to his apartment. It was the only other place he could think of to go, the only place he could think of that she could be. He didn't want to think logically, knowing that this was her city and really, he knew nothing about her life in London, not really.

The truth was, he had no clue where to start but here was as good a place as any.

He struck gold

He opened that door and smelt food from the kitchen and felt the heat from the fireplace. Hopefully he had found her or someone else was living in his house. Will didn't say anything before making his way into the kitchen

Without missing a beat, she knew he was there without even turning around.

"Hey" she said quietly. She are standing next to the stove top chopping vegetables "Food should be ready soon, if you're hungry"

Her voice sounded strange

"Long time since I've had a home cooked meal" he said crossing the floor "Where did you go?"

"I told you. I was giving you guys some space"

"That was hours ago"

"I fell asleep"

He lent up against the edge of the bench and watched her with his arms across his chest. She looked like she hadn't slept in days

"No you didn't" Neve didn't say anything. She just kept on cooking as if he wasn't talking "Neve, talk to me"

"What do you want me to say?"

She even seem tired, no not tired. She looked sad. That was rare for Neve. Angry, yes. Silly, sometimes but sad. He could count on one hand how many times he had seen that.

It was the blonde bombshells death that's had done this

Something was going on.

Brandt started to look around, as if he was going to find clues in the kitchen. It was with her that he found them.

With the fireplace and the oven going the place, although not a furnace but it was hot and she was wearing a pashmina wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Come here for a second"

"I can't"

She didn't moved but he unwrapped the scarf anyway. There as clear as day, was a red hand print. Brandt looked at her.

"Who did this?" she didn't answer "Who'd you go see, Neve? Huh?"

He shook his head as he moved around her and over to the freezer, grabbing an icepack, wrapped it in a towel and gently placed it on the side over her neck, before she hissed in pain.

"Look at me. Listen to me" he told her and didn't speak again until she did "I love you but I can't help you, until you let me"

"Will"

"I know you're tough. I know you can handle more than any woman I have ever met but you are not stronger by yourself, or on your own. Mayrbek or Niccolo, tell me? "

"Niccolo" she whispered "He loved her. He really loved her"

"Yeah well, that doesn't mean that he didn't love you either"

"Don't pacify me"

"I'm not, Angel"

He switched the stove off and sat her up on the bench. Brandt checked her throat and neck to see if there was any serious damage and there didn't seem to be. Although it did look painful.

"How did you get him off you?" she pulled the dragger out of her belt and he smiled proudly and slightly impressed. It was small enough to fit comfortably between her fingers "Impressive"

"Maybe you shouldn't be"

"What, be impressed?"

"Love me"

He pulled back and looked at her frowning, trying to read her with no luck, which was really quite annoying.

"What's brought this on? Niccolo?"

"He's not wrong is he? You, Vince, him. I do have all of you on a string"

"You have no taste in men. Nothing you can do about that. You make the best out of a bad situation. You always have"

"Or do I just go looking for them?"

Brandt moved the ice pack and held her face in his hands, while they were cold, it was still comforting. Strong, secure, she felt safe if only for a spilt second. She closed her eyes and savoured it

"Don't let him in your head"

"Too late" she told him, her voice breaking.

"Then don't let him win. Don't let him under your skin. Don't think of him as a person. He is a thing, you need to get rid of. Understand?"

She looked away and didn't say anything. He placed the icepack back on the curve of her neck. She shivered and not from the cold.

Neve pressed her lips together, she was barely holding it together.

"I didn't mean for her to…"

"That was not you. That was Mayrbek. That's who he is, Angel. Its just becoming clear to you now. That's all"

"I got her killed" she sobbed. He quickly grabbed her and wrapped her up tight. She didn't let go nor did Neve want too. It was the first time he had seen her cry in a long time and he wasn't sure if the operating table, in unbearable pain actually counted. She took a few deep breathes trying to calm herself.

"I think I need to tracking device on you" he joked before she actually laughed through her tears and didn't move her head from his shoulder

#

Later that night they were sitting on the sofa, watching the fire, not really saying much to one another. Then again they had never really needed words. Her mind was much too full for new conversations, new subjects. Old concerns however were ever flowing

"I feel like I am holding you guys down"

"You're not"

"I haven't been much of a help through"

"I mean, you disappearing. No, I'm not a fan of that but what you have to understand in situations like this. They don't take a few days. It takes weeks and you only worked one case, we were there for months, weren't we?"

"Yes, this but has a ticking clock"

"It's going to be fine"

"I think he is going to come after you. I mean you and the team, but you. He said would"

"He's just trying to scare you,Nevie. He's wounded and we're getting to him. He's trying to make himself feel bigger, better"

"Yeah and what lengths will he go, Will"

"If it comes to that. I welcome it"

"That's just what I need. The contest of the egos"

"He has cut you and tried to choke you out. This has nothing to do with ego"

"Not to mention he has been fucking me for years"

Brandt's shoulders straighten, as she smirked at him, he bore hole into her with his eyes.

"Nevertheless. We'll be ready for whatever he throws at us"

She chuckled bitterly. Neve didn't quite believe him but she knew that she should.

"Brandt"

"Is there any reason for him to be in Scotland? There is a compound there that has been nonstop with deliveries and cargo. The name on the deed is one of his alias"

"He has a uncle that works for the Scottish embassy on his mother's side, by marriage, ugh" the name was on the tip of her tongue. Brandt tried not to chuckle as she looked cute racking her brain "Cameron Muir. They are not married any more though"

"Were they married when Niccolo's mother died"

"I think he lived with them brief straight after, actually" she told him nodding her head "Possible target?"

"Worth looking into"

"Okay" she sighed "How about we heat this food and take it back to the guys. Who knows how long it's been since they have actually had a meal"

"Why aren't you like this all the time?"

"What?" she asked laughing and untangling herself from him "Complacent? Trusting? Easier to deal with?"

"No, like the girl" he stopped without finishing

"Like the girl, you used to know"

"Sorry" he said softly

"Don't be. It's true. I'm not her anymore but she's in here somewhere, only a little battered and bruised. A bit heartbroken and scared but I'm not that far from her, if I tell the truth"

"Neve"

"Will, it's okay. Let's get going so we can catch his guy before he does any more damage, okay?"

She stood up and held her hands out for his, before pulling him up from the sofa. He followed closely behind her as she headed back into the kitchen

It was strange how quickly you could fall into step with someone after so many years apart.

If the connection was already there and it was really, it seemed like nothing could break that. They worked around each other in the kitchen. Not having to say a word if they didn't want too. Of course it also helped that they were sniping at each other every five seconds.


End file.
